Last year, 7 out of 10 households purchased processed foods online. When the household head is in their 20s or 30s, the proportion of households purchasing processed foods online surpasses 9 out of 10.
According to the Rural Economic Institute of Korea's '2024 Consumer Attitude Survey on Processed Foods' conducted on the 6th, the percentage of households that purchased processed foods online last year was recorded at 72.3%. This is 14.5 percentage points higher than the survey figure from a year earlier (57.8%).
On the other hand, the proportion of those who responded that they 'never purchase processed foods online' was 27.7%, down about 15 percentage points from the previous year (42.2%).
When the household head is in their 20s, the proportion of those who reported purchasing processed foods online reached 90.3%. For those in their 30s, it was slightly higher at 96.2%.
The frequency of purchasing processed foods online has also increased compared to the previous year. Households buying processed foods online at least once a week rose from 16.4% in 2019 to 37.8% last year.
The proportion of those who purchase '2 to 3 times a week' increased from 2.0% the previous year to 10.7%, while the proportion of those buying 'once a week' grew from 16.4% to 26.5%.
When asked about the most important criteria for purchasing processed foods, taste (26.9%) ranked first, while price followed in second place at 19.2%. Quality (15.7%) and safety and freshness (11.8%) were next.
The researchers noted that 'the importance placed on safety and freshness, as well as convenience in purchasing and preparing, has increased compared to a year ago, while the emphasis on taste, price, quality, and nutrition has decreased.' They analyzed that 'households with fewer members tend to prioritize taste and convenience in purchasing, while lower-income households emphasize price and higher-income households prioritize freshness.'
The percentage of households that have purchased home meal replacements (HMR) also increased from last year (67.3%) to 77.9%. The most frequently purchased type of easy meal for these households was 'dumplings and pizza (94.8%).' Following this were 'instant rice (89.7%),' 'sauces and seasonings (88.9%),' 'instant soups (87.5%),' and 'instant tteokbokki and noodles (86.9%).'