Halloween marketing has been subdued again this year in the retail sector, following the Itaewon tragedy. Major department stores, large supermarkets, and convenience stores are focusing on year-end shopping events like Christmas and Pepero Day instead of Halloween promotions.
According to industry sources on October 27, retailers are either not conducting Halloween-related marketing or are significantly scaling it back ahead of Halloween on October 31. This trend of avoiding large promotional events has continued for four years in consideration of the mourning atmosphere following the Itaewon tragedy on October 29, 2022.
Department stores are emphasizing Christmas marketing. Shinsegae Department Store plans to operate a Christmas market at its Gangnam location starting October 30. Other stores are set to begin their events sequentially after mid-November. The schedule for the year-end video display on the media facade 'Shinsegae Square' at the main store has not yet been confirmed.
Lotte Department Store will also sequentially unveil Christmas displays at its locations starting at the end of this month. The main store's Young Plaza will feature a teaser video inspired by Goethe's novel 'The Sorrows of Young Werther' in November, with official operations beginning in December. A 'Lotte Town Christmas Market' is expected to debut in Jamsil in late November.
Hyundai Department Store will open a Christmas village on the fifth floor of The Hyundai Seoul on November 10. The first pre-reservation will take place on November 5, and this year, reservations can be made through 'The Hyundai Hi.' Last year, approximately 45,000 users accessed the site simultaneously during the first reservation, which sold out in 30 minutes.
Large supermarkets and the e-commerce sector are targeting consumers with major discount events. Shinsegae Group will hold 'Ssg Day' from October 30 to November 8, offering up to 50% off on Hanwoo beef, fresh produce, and household items, along with some buy-one-get-one-free promotions.
Gmarket will hold a discount event from November 2 to 13, while 11st will conduct its largest shopping festival of the year, 'Grand 11th Day,' from November 1 to 11. Since October 26, 11st has begun pre-sales for over 200 popular items, including electronics and household goods.
Convenience stores are focusing on Pepero Day on November 11. GS25 has prepared collaborative products featuring its character 'Mumu' and limited-edition goods. CU plans to offer gift items such as keychains and blankets featuring Pokémon and Tamagotchi.
The fact that Pepero Day falls on a Wednesday this year has raised expectations in the convenience store sector. According to GS25, sales of related products increased by 39.2% in 2024 and 30.5% last year when Pepero Day occurred on a weekday.
Lotte Wellfood has also launched ten seasonal Pepero packages featuring popular intellectual properties (IPs) such as Stray Kids and Sanrio characters.
An industry insider stated, "Since the Itaewon tragedy, there has been a continued atmosphere of restraint regarding promotional events for Halloween. Instead, we are focusing our marketing efforts on securing consumer demand for discounts and events related to Pepero Day and Christmas, which will ramp up in November."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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