Toy Prices Rise Amid "Ten Pocket" Trend
Popular Animation Toys Priced Around 100,000 Won
As Christmas approaches, more parents are feeling the burden of buying gifts for their children. Popular toys are priced around 100,000 won (approximately 77 USD), so even purchasing just a few can become a significant financial strain. As a result, there is a growing trend of seeking cost-effective gifts at stores like Daiso, making the polarization of year-end consumer spending more pronounced.
Rising Parental Burden Due to Toy Prices
Recently, it has been found that many toys sold on major online platforms such as Naver Shopping are priced around 100,000 won. For example, the Catch! Tinyping Princess Pact, based on the popular animation "Princess Catch! Tinyping" (Catch! Tinyping), is sold for 99,900 won, while the Tinyping Princess House is priced at 79,900 won. Additionally, the Pororo Talking Refrigerator is listed at 200,000 won, and the Little Bus Tayo Smart Tayo Big Mat is sold for 53,000 won.
The high prices of products targeting infants and children are driven by the "Ten Pocket" trend, where not only parents but also grandparents and extended family members contribute to spending on a single child. In response, companies are setting higher price points while employing various strategies, such as collaborating with animations favored by children.
In fact, jewelry brand Lloyd reported that after collaborating with "Catch! Tinyping," sales of its "Child Safety Necklace" for kids from November 17 to December 11 increased more than threefold compared to the same period last year. Lloyd launched four types of child safety necklaces featuring Catch! Tinyping characters on November 17, and some products sold out their initial stock within a day of release due to high demand. The necklaces are priced in the 100,000 won range.
However, not all parents opt for expensive gifts. Due to inflationary pressures, there are also increasing cases of parents seeking cost-effective Christmas gifts at Daiso. In particular, many are using Daiso's advent calendars to prepare gifts. An advent calendar is a calendar that allows children to open one gift each day as they count down to Christmas. Parents are reducing costs by filling these calendars with individually packaged snacks such as jelly or chocolate. On Daiso Mall, it is easy to find reviews such as "I filled it with snacks for my nephew's Christmas gift," "I bought it to put in snacks my child likes," and "The kids absolutely love it."
Year-End Spending Polarization in the US as Well... "A Christmas Without Gifts"
The polarization of year-end spending can also be seen overseas. According to the American polling firm Gallup, Americans are expected to spend an average of 778 dollars (about 1.15 million won) on Christmas and other year-end gifts. This is 229 dollars (about 340,000 won) less than the estimate from October (1,007 dollars, about 1.49 million won).
By income level, households earning over 100,000 dollars per year are expected to spend an average of 1,230 dollars (about 1.82 million won) on year-end gifts. In contrast, households with annual incomes under 50,000 dollars are expected to spend 384 dollars (about 570,000 won). Middle-class households are projected to spend an average of 842 dollars (about 1.24 million won).
Meanwhile, more parents are choosing a "Christmas without gifts." The American parenting media outlet Parents reported, "On social media, parents are sharing stories of a 'giftless Christmas,'" adding that "as Christmas draws nearer, some parents are beginning to reconsider long-standing traditions."
The outlet noted, "While a 'giftless Christmas' is not a familiar sight, it can be an alternative for families facing heavy year-end spending burdens." It also added, "Some people are choosing to allocate Christmas gift money to more important purposes. Recently, a grandmother made headlines for putting money into a savings account she had set up for her grandchildren instead of buying them Christmas gifts."
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