Snacks, functional drinks among top weekend purchases
Gmarket said Wednesday that weekend demand for its guaranteed-delivery service, Star Delivery, has surged.
An analysis of Star Delivery order data for the first half of this year (Jan. 1–June 18) showed that Saturday and Sunday orders grew 31 percent compared with the same period last year. The company attributed the increase to customers seeking out Star Delivery products specifically for weekend delivery.
Certain product categories stood out for their strong weekend performance. Snacks and confectionery led the way, with weekend sales up 55 percent year on year — far outpacing the 29 percent growth recorded on weekdays for the same category.
Functional beverages such as protein drinks and sports drinks also saw weekend sales growth of 56 percent, compared with 32 percent on weekdays. Bottled and sparkling water (56 percent), detergents (24 percent) and cosmetics (46 percent) likewise posted gains. By contrast, stockpiling staples such as ramyun and instant rice saw weekday purchase growth outpace weekend growth by as much as 28 percentage points.
Customer satisfaction with weekend delivery also improved. An analysis of Star Delivery reviews posted this year found that positive reviews containing keywords such as "weekend" and "right away" rose about 40 percent from the same period last year.
Gmarket said it plans to continue expanding the Star Delivery product lineup and to step up its push for weekend shoppers through various promotions. "We will roll out tailored promotions for Star Delivery based on customer shopping data," a company official said.
spa@heraldcorp.com
