Chuseok gift pre-orders rise alongside surge in travel plans

[Courtesy of Homeplus]

Pre-orders for Chuseok gifts have surged by over 20 percent compared to 2023, as more Koreans opt for vacations over family gatherings during the traditional Korean holiday.

Homeplus reported on Thursday that pre-reservation volume for Chuseok gift sets from late July 2024 until Tuesday increased by 25 percent compared to the same period during the previous year. Pre-reservations accounted for 73 percent of Homeplus’s Chuseok gift set sales in 2023, and this figure expected to hover near 80 percent this year. At Lotte Mart and E-Mart, pre-reserved Chuseok gift set sales were 60 percent and 54 percent respectively in 2023.

The most popular pre-ordered item was the gulbi, or dried yellow croaker, set, with sales up by 185 percent compared to the previous year. Liquor sets, pear sets, and health supplements followed with increases of 132 percent, 60 percent, and 42 percent respectively.

“Higher-priced items like gulbi are more popular during the pre-order period, while more affordable sets like laver and ham that can be bought and carried directly are in higher demand during Chuseok,” Homeplus explained.

The rise in pre-reservations is partly due to the significant benefits of pre-ordering, but also reflects the desire to enjoy a holiday trip. This year’s Chuseok holiday spans five days from September 14th to 18th, including the weekend, with the potential for up to nine days off by taking additional leave on the 19th and 20th.

Hotels.com Korea reported a twenty-nine percent increase in searches for Chuseok travel-related keywords on Naver in July compared to 2023. The most significant increases in search volume for overseas destinations included Okinawa (100 percent), Tokyo (85 percent), Hokkaido (65 percent), Bangkok (45 percent), Nha Trang (40 percent), and Bali (35 percent). Nearby destinations including Japan and Vietnam, along with popular family vacation spots like Bangkok and Bali, were particularly in demand.

The travel industry is striving to attract as many customers as possible during the Chuseok holiday. Hanatour Service Inc. has introduced charter flight products to Vietnam and Lotte Tour Development Co. is also offering charter flights to small cities in Japan. Korean Air Lines Co. and Asiana Airlines Inc. plan to operate special international routes during the holiday period, while Hotels.com is offering up to a twenty-five percent discount on Chuseok travel reservations until the end of August 2024.