A shopper browses the produce aisle in a grocery store in Seoul on Aug. 18.NEWS1
The heat is changing more than what Koreans buy. It is changing when, where and how they spend.
For a parent surnamed Lee, weekends now start at 7 a.m. The family finds it difficult to go out during the hottest part of the day, so early-morning walks near their home or indoor retreats to air-conditioned places have become a weekend routine.
“We tend to stay home during the hottest part of the day or spend time at a department store or cafe,” Lee said. “I can’t wait for fall, when we can finally go outside and enjoy the cool breeze.”
Record-breaking heat waves each summer are reshaping consumers’ daily routines. People are buying more in fewer trips, while department stores and cafes are becoming places to linger for relatively little money. Spending has also shifted away from the afternoon toward mornings and evenings.
On heat wave days, supermarket transactions rose 7.3 percent compared to other days, while online shopping transactions increased 4.1 percent, an analysis by Shinhan Card released Saturdayshowed.
Shinhan Card's big data analysis lab examined a month of card spending by customers in the greater Seoul area from July 18, comparing heat wave days, when the daily high reached at least 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 degrees Fahrenheit), with days below that threshold.
Shoppers were not just buying more often. They were spending more each time. Average spending per transaction rose 5.2 percent at supermarkets and 11.6 percent online.
“Consumers showed a clear tendency to stock up by buying more at once and spending larger amounts because of the heat,” the institute said.
Visitors spend a leisurely afternoon at Times Square in Yeongdeung District, western Seoul, on Aug. 16 during the Liberation Day holiday weekend.NEWS1
Department stores and cafes told a different story.
Transactions increased 1 percent at department stores and 6.5 percent at cafes on heat wave days. Yet average spending per transaction fell 5.5 percent and 3.6 percent, respectively.
The figures suggest consumers increasingly use such places as air-conditioned refuges from the heat — buying little and staying for a long time — rather than primarily as shopping destinations.
Taxi use followed a similar pattern. The number of rides rose 7.2 percent, but average spending per ride fell 1.3 percent. The heat appears to have made even short walks less appealing and boosted demand for short-distance taxi trips.
Hot weather also changed when people opened their wallets.
An analysis of spending times across 20 major business categories found that the share of purchases made between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. was 1.24 percentage points higher on heat wave days than on other days, while the share between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. fell 1.37 percentage points.
Pedestrians stand in the street in parasols to avoid the summer heat in Yongsan, central Seoul, on Aug. 23.YONHAP
The shift was particularly noticeable for essential errands. The share of visits made in the morning rose 1.4 percentage points at hospitals and 1.9 percentage points at pharmacies.
Traditional markets and outlet malls, where shoppers are more exposed to the heat, saw their share of afternoon spending fall 1.4 percentage points and 2.1 percentage points, respectively.
Business picked up again after the heat eased. Between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., the share of spending rose 1.8 percentage points at traditional markets and 1.3 percentage points at outlets.
The evening rebound was particularly pronounced among consumers aged 60 and older.
On heat wave days, the number of customers in that age group who visited large grocery stores between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. rose 5.6 percent. Similarly, cafe visits increased 7.6 percent. Both were the largest increases of any age group.
A shopper picks out produce at a grocery store in Seoul on Aug. 23.NEWS1
The figures suggest older consumers, who are particularly vulnerable to extreme heat, are actively adjusting their everyday spending habits.
Senior citizens also turned to delivery apps more often, with usage of those in their 60s or older up 6.8 percent on heat wave days. Convenience store shopping also rose 6.8 percent.
In addition, ice cream and shaved ice purchases among older adult consumers jumped 32 percent on heat wave days, the largest increase of all age groups.
The hotter it got, the more spending moved from stores to screens.
A logistics worker organizes parcels in a delivery truck on Jan. 2.YONHAP
Average spending per online shopping transaction surged 35.4 percent between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on heat wave days, compared to days without extreme heat.
Outlet malls moved in the opposite direction. Average spending per transaction declined across all time periods and fell 11.6 percent between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
For retailers and consumers alike, the numbers are clear: When the heat peaks, the shopping trip can wait.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
