Consumers prefer cash, gift vouchers for Chuseok

With the Chuseok holiday less than four weeks away, a survey showed yesterday that the most preferred gift among family and friends is cash or gift certificates.

Online marketplace Auction surveyed 1,438 consumers from Aug. 1 to Thursday on what they plan to buy for Chuseok. When asked what gifts they wanted most, 50.8 percent said they would prefer cash or gift certificates that can be used at local retailers.

The ranking was followed by meat (17.6 percent) and gift sets that include daily necessities like toothpaste and soap.

Meanwhile, the survey showed that gifts consumers would like to give their relatives and friends differed.

The No. 1 preferred item to give as a present was a gift set of tuna, olive oil and soap (32 percent), followed by fruit (19.2 percent) and health foods like red ginseng and vitamin pills (19 percent).

“The survey showed some gap in the types of gifts consumers are planning to give and those that they wish to receive,” said an official from Auction.

According to the survey, 38.2 percent of respondents noted that they plan to purchase domestically produced culinary ingredients despite the higher price.

Only 14.5 percent said that they will buy imported ingredients to put on their ancestral rites table.

“Our survey showed that consumers care more about quality rather than the quantity of the food they plan to prepare,” the official said.

In fact, 37 percent answered that while they plan to buy more expensive domestically produced ingredients to prepare for their ancestral rites table, they will reduce the types of dishes if needed.

The most ideal amount consumers expect to spend to prepare food for the ancestral rites table was 200,000 won ($194) or less, while 22.3 percent said they plan to expend about 300,000 won or less.

Chuseok falls on Sept. 8 this year.

BY lee eun-joo [angie@joongang.co.kr]