Selfie sticks, ‘Frozen’ toys best-sellers on e-retailers

While the most popular items on Korea’s three biggest online retailers mostly differed this year, selfie sticks made it onto the top-selling lists of G-Market, Auction and 11st, according to information released by the e-commerce giants on Tuesday.

G-Market said that sales of the item, which helps users take photographs of themselves, increased by 1,662 percent in January through November, compared to the same period last year.

Another popular item on G-Market was the mobile coupon, an electronic gift voucher that can be sent to consumers through smartphones. Younger people in particular tend to send these coupons as tokens of appreciation these days.

Along with the selfie stick, toys from Walt Disney’s “Frozen” emerged as 2014’s best-selling products, according to Auction.

The animated movie that opened in January attracted more than 10 million people to cinemas, becoming the second most popular overseas film released here after “Avatar.”

Its explosive popularity spawned a wide range of items inspired by the flick - from dolls of Anna and Elsa, the movie’s main characters, to a toy model of an ice castle. A number of books and CDs featuring the princesses and their adorable snowman sidekick were also big sellers.

The popularity of “Frozen” items appears to be an international phenomenon.

Retail behemoth Amazon said that a plethora of items related to the Disney movie, including watches and even duct tape, were among its best-sellers during the recent holiday shopping season, overtaking Barbie as the most sought-after toys this year.

“The products from the movie were a really big hit this year,” said a representative at Auction. “We saw a significant rise in sales during the Christmas season. I believe this is close to some kind of cultural phenomena.”

Diapers were also among the best-sellers, boosted by the growth in sales of P&G’s Pampers Baby Dry diapers. Auction had the highest number of orders for these diapers.

On 11st, meanwhile, a cosmetic product also made it onto the list.

IOPE’s air-cushion foundation enjoyed a surge in sales at the online retailer this year. The air-cushion compact immediately took off because it combines various functions, including a makeup base, whitening and sunblock.

BY PARK EUN-JEE [ejpark@joongang.co.kr]