"Trendy Clothes Already Cheap, Even More Savings When Bought on Sale"…Money-Saving 'SPA Golden Age' [Pocket Talk]

SPA Brands Continue to Grow
Gaining Popularity with Reasonable Prices
Changing Perceptions of Luxury Consumption

Editor's NoteIt is an era where one serving of Samgyeopsal costs 20,000 won, and a bowl of Jajangmyeon is 7,500 won. The Consumer Price Index for 2024 stands at 114.18 (2020=100), and in 2025, the burden on consumers' wallets has increased due to continued high inflation. Through the weekly series PocketTalk (Week+Money+Talk), we aim to share stories about consumption closely connected to our financial situations amid rapidly changing prices.

As the era of high inflation continues, SPA (Specialty retailer of Private label Apparel) brands are gaining popularity. At one time, the 'Flex' culture?consumption for showing off through luxury goods?was trendy, but as the economic downturn worsened, consumers have been cutting unnecessary expenses and focusing on cost-effectiveness. Accordingly, SPA brands, which emphasize reasonable prices and quick trend adaptation, are receiving attention.

E-Land SPAO. Yonhap News

Recently, SPA brands have shown an upward sales trend. According to the fashion platform Abley, the transaction amount for SPA brands in Q4 last year doubled compared to the same period the previous year, and the number of ordering customers increased by 70%. Notably, young consumers aged 10 to 29 accounted for half of the transaction amount. Looking at individual brands, Musinsa Standard's offline sales from January to October last year increased 3.5 times compared to the previous year, SPAO's sales until December last year rose by 25%, and TopTen also continued its growth with an 11% increase in sales during the same period.

This appears to be the result of SPA brands' price competitiveness effectively appealing to consumers. Representative SPA brands include SPAO, Zara, and H&M. These brands manage everything from product planning to production and distribution directly, minimizing intermediate distribution stages to secure price competitiveness.

Additionally, the spread of the 'Dupe' trend is also supporting the growth of SPA brands. 'Dupe' is short for 'Duplication,' meaning a consumption pattern where consumers seek alternative products that are affordable yet comparable in quality to high-end brands. SPA brands are responding to this trend by offering trendy yet quality products at reasonable prices.

Jang (29), an office worker who usually buys clothes from Zara, said, "There are many uniquely designed clothes, so it's fun to find clothes that suit my taste," adding, "There is a wide variety of clothing types, and using sale periods allows for even cheaper purchases." He also added, "There are many designs that follow trends, so it is a brand I always visit when shopping."

In contrast to the strong performance of SPA brands, perceptions of luxury consumption are gradually changing. According to a survey on 'Perceptions of High-priced (Luxury) Clothing' conducted by market research firm Embrain Trend Monitor on 1,000 adults aged 19 to 59 nationwide, the response that "Investing in self-development is more valuable than wearing high-priced clothing" increased from 71.0% in 2022 to 73.5% in 2025. Additionally, the response that "It is necessary to be cautious about the increasing consumption of luxury clothing" rose from 65.1% to 71.7%. This suggests that consumers are becoming more cautious about purchasing high-end brand products compared to before.

Meanwhile, the trend toward rational consumption is expected to continue for some time. Consulting firm Deloitte Korea stated in last month's 'Consumer Signal' report, "In 2025, due to the prolonged 'three highs' phenomenon of high inflation, high interest rates, and high exchange rates, recession-type consumption is expected to spread," adding, "Amid economic uncertainty, consumers are increasingly emphasizing cost-effectiveness and utility." They further noted, "The cost of conspicuous consumption by domestic consumers, who always ranked high among 17 countries, has dropped to 9th place (as of December 2024) due to high exchange rates and consumption stagnation."