The Business District Changed by COVID-19... 'Cafes' Increased and 'Hofjip' Decreased

Analyzed Impact of "Hon-sul Culture" and "Small Gatherings"
Convenience Stores Declined After COVID-19, Then Rebounded

Around 2020, when COVID-19 emerged, the number of cafes in Seoul increased annually, while the number of hof (pub) establishments decreased by more than 1,700.

According to an analysis by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on changes in 20 daily life-related business sectors and the industrial characteristics of 20 major commercial districts from 2017 to 2022, the representative industries that saw an increase in the number of businesses over the past five years were coffee beverage shops (cafes), Western-style restaurants, and general clinics.

Provided by Seoul City

In the case of cafes, the number rose from 16,477 in 2017 to 22,135 in 2022, marking a 34.3% increase. Compared to 2020, when COVID-19 broke out, 452 more stores were added. The area with the largest increase in cafes was Yeonnam-dong, where 137 new cafes opened.

The industry that expanded the most during the same period was sports training centers. The number increased from 4,087 in 2017 to 5,932 in 2020, and further to 6,958 in 2022, an increase of over 1,000.

Hof and simple pubs showed a declining trend after 2020. In 2022, there were 14,626 such establishments, down 1,724 (10.5%) compared to 2020. The city analyzed that this was due to a complex combination of factors, including the spread of small gatherings or 'hon-sul culture' (drinking alone) instead of large-scale company dinners even after COVID-19 subsided, and the increase in single-person households.

Convenience stores briefly decreased in 2021 but then returned to a recovery trend. Stores that exceeded 10,000 in 2020 dropped to 9,752 in 2021 but increased again to 9,989 in 2022. This is interpreted as overcoming the COVID-19 crisis by strengthening sales of home-use convenience foods and ready-to-eat meals in line with the increase in one- to two-person households.

The shortest average business duration by type was Western-style restaurants at 3.7 years, followed by cafes (3.8 years), sports training centers (5.1 years), chicken specialty stores (5.2 years), and convenience stores (5.3 years).

Basic data from the 30-year business survey results from 1994 to 2023, including this analysis, will be available on the Seoul Open Data Plaza website. You can search for 'Seoul Business Survey Results Information' to view or download related materials.

Kang Ok-hyun, Director of the Digital City Bureau of Seoul, stated, "Since the results of this analysis of Seoul’s businesses will also be provided as visualized content for easy understanding by citizens, we expect it to be widely used for various purposes such as citizens’ startup plans and research reports."