Food Forward Korea infographic(English)

Koreans are returning to their roots, with plain, everyday food known as Jip-bab stepping into the spotlight

FOOD FORWARD TRENDS REPORTKOREA 2014

TREND 01 Affordable luxury- new, exotic and accessible

Do you shop at specialty supermarkets for foreigners?

Do you feel that there has been a recent increase in choice for food in Korea with regards to variety, products and brands?

As Korean customers continue to feel the insecurities of economic uncertainty, they are finding new ways to treat themselves.

Single living (and with that, dining for one) has become more the standard than the exception.

TREND 02 K.I.S.S. (keep it simple and solo)

TREND 03 “Hip”-bab: The taste of home is back

TREND 04 Into the (urban) wild

Camping has become a popular social activity and is having an impact on in-store offerings and restaurant flavours in Korea

of respondents purchase small packaged, or fast food once a week or more

How often do you dine out alone?

What do you consider most important when choosing where to dine?

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Tyler Kim

Managing Director, Korea+82 2 6250 [email protected]

Ihn Chee

Senior Vice President, Consumer Practice+82 2 6250 [email protected]

For more information on Food Forward 2014, please contact:

A country’s food culture – from health standards to trendy foodies to social sharing – can be seen as a litmus test to the diversity of that nation. Certainly it is food culture that has largely shaped civilisations and will no doubt continue to be a measurement of both living standards and social trends for generations to come.

As a global public relations agency, Weber Shandwick considers it our mission to be at the forefront of trends that engage others, not only in the communications sector but in each industry that we work in. And food trends are no different.

Food Forward Trends Report 2014 draws on insights from food experts across the country and from a survey of more than 750 Korean consumers, conducted by Weber Shandwick and survey company Qualtrics, to predict the biggest trends for the coming year.

4%

Most of the time

3%

Always

55%

Sometimes

32%

Rarely

6%

Never

In the midst of prolonged economic recession, even as consumers continue to hold o� on major international travel or purchasing designer bags, they now see gourmet foods as one area where they can splurge.

Eun-suk Leeeditor-in-chief of magazine CookAnd

84%

10%

Diet-conscious food

6%

Price

2%

Other

24%

Safety and cleanliness of

restaurant

12%

Comfort food

46%

Specialty dish that is hard to cook

at home

How important do you think it is to share or pass down family recipes?

11% Extremely important

33% Very important

40% Moderately important

13% Neither

important nor unimportant

2% Unimportant

1% Not at all important

84%

Have you ever been or are you willing to go camping?

27%Never been

but willing to

6%No, and

I don't intend to

8%Yes, I go often

59%Yes, I have experienced it

but I don't go regularly

62%At least sometimes

65%Some

6%An extreme

amount3%None

26%Quite a bit

A substantial increase in

choice.

33%Never

15%A few times a month

20%Less than

once a month

10%Three times a week or more

24%Once or twice a week

34%

Once a week or more

36%Lack of variety of food I can eat alone

35%Conscious of

other customers

19%Not

uncomfortable

10%Do not feel the need to dine

out when I can order takeaway food instead

If you ever felt uncomfortable eating alone at a restaurant, what was the reason?

Moderatelyto extremely

important

67%

Have been camping before

How often do you dine out?

17%Three times a week or more

41%Once or twice a week

31%A few times a month

10%Once a month

or less

1%Never

11%

Rarely or never

32%