Carnations out, presents in: Flower sales slump for Parents' Day as Koreans focus on practical gifts

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Carnations out, presents in: Flower sales slump for Parents' Day as Koreans focus on practical gifts

Published: 09 May. 2025, 12:09 Updated: 09 May. 2025, 14:42

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Carnations sit unsold at a stall run by a florist surnamed Sung, 75, at the Yangjae Flower Market Center in southern Seoul on May 8. [JOONGANG ILBO]

When a 29-year-old office worker surnamed Kwon got their first job last year, Kwon decided to skip the usual carnation bouquet for the May 8 Parents’ Day this year, which fell on Thursday. Instead, Kwon gifted their mother a nail and pedicure session worth 150,000 won ($106), tailoring the present to her love of beauty treatments.

“I felt she would appreciate a beauty service more than a carnation,” Kwon said. “So, I chipped in a bit more to give her something different this time.”

Another person surnamed Yoon, 36, took a similar approach. Concerned about their father’s chronic back pain, Yoon gifted him a 10-session pass for personal training.

“I had budgeted around 300,000 won for both a carnation and gift,” Yoon said. “But my mother suggested paying for his fitness training instead of buying flowers. I thought it would be better to give him a health-conscious gift than something he doesn’t really want.”

Such stories reflect a growing shift among Koreans who are forgoing traditional carnations in favor of more practical Parents’ Day gifts.

According to Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation’s flower distribution data, carnation sales at the Yangjae Flower Market Center in Seocho District, southern Seoul, have been falling sharply.

From May 1 to 8 in 2022, 66,153 carnation bundles were sold, totaling about 402 million won. During the same period this year, however, sales dropped nearly by half to 34,176 bundles, worth about 272 million won.

At the Yangjae Flower Market Center on Thursday, florists expressed dismay at the slump.

“Spring, especially between March and May, is when we’re supposed to make most of our sales,” said 75-year-old Lee Yeon-im, who has sold flowers for 33 years. “But customers have really disappeared. I sold just one carnation on Parents’ Day.”

“I prepared a lot of high-quality carnations this year, but barely anyone has come,” said a 70-year-old vendor surnamed Sung. “Even slashing prices to cost levels isn’t helping. I’m seriously considering closing down.”

Preschoolers make carnation crafts to gift to their parents in time for Parents' Day in Gwangju on May 8. [NEWS1]

Adding to the industry’s woes is the rise in imported carnations, which are cheaper and more abundant. According to Korea Customs Service trade statistics, imports of Chinese carnations rose from 432.7 tons in 2022 to 613.6 tons last year. Imports from Colombia also climbed from 1,277.2 to 1,636.6 tons in the same period.

“China and Colombia have favorable climates for growing carnations, and lower labor costs,” said an official from the Gyeongsangnam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services’ Flower Breeding Research Institute. “Compared to domestically grown carnations, which are more expensive to produce, it’s hard for Korean farmers to compete on price.”

Local growers are trying to adapt by cutting production or changing crops, but the transition is difficult. While some local governments and welfare groups have launched campaigns to encourage carnation consumption, farmers say it hasn’t been enough.

“I’ve been reducing flower production every year for the past three years, but sales keep declining,” said Choi Il-gyu, 70, who runs a flower farm in Yongin, Gyeonggi. “These local campaigns don’t make a big difference in real terms, and it’s frustrating.”

A free meal service center in Daegu prepares 1,000 carnations for the elderly on May 8. [NEWS1]

Lee Eun-hee, a professor emeritus of consumer science at Inha University, said the shift reflects changing consumer priorities.

“In this economic climate, with high inflation, people tend to prefer practical gifts,” she said. “Imported flowers are cheaper and better in quality, so it’s natural that consumers choose them, leaving local growers struggling.”

“The floral industry is a part of agriculture, but people often forget that flowers are agricultural products,” said Lee Hyo-beom, a horticulture professor at Seoul National University. “Korea doesn’t consume as many flowers as other countries, and with high labor costs, fostering large-scale farms is essential.”

He also emphasized the need for public investment. “We need to support specialized institutions to research affordable and high-quality flower varieties,” he said.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM CHANG-YONG [[email protected]]