Toy Shops Surge 40% Where Hongdae Pubs Vanished... Capturing 2030s "Instead of Drinks"

Having a drink at a pub after work is becoming a thing of the past.

Toy stores increased by 20% compared to the previous year, while pubs decreased by nearly 10%.

According to the "Status of 100 Major Lifestyle Industries" recently released by the National Tax Service, as of the end of June, the number of toy stores nationwide stood at around 4,000, an increase of about 670 compared to the same month last year, marking a 20.3% jump in a single year.

The National Tax Service analyzed that the growth in toy stores is linked to the expansion of figure shops and capsule toy stores, the so-called gachapon shops.

On the other hand, over the same period, pubs nationwide decreased by nearly 2,000 from about 21,000 to 19,000, registering a decrease rate of 9%.

Simple bars, which include pubs and taverns, also decreased by more than 9% over the same period.

In particular, this trend was more pronounced in major commercial districts in Seoul frequented by younger generations.

In Mapo-gu, Seoul, where the Hongdae commercial district is located, toy stores surged 42.9% from 49 last year to 70 this year, whereas Mapo-gu's pubs and simple bars decreased by over 7% and 11%, respectively, during the same period.

The spaces left by declining pubs are being filled by toy stores such as "gachapon shops," where people pay to randomly draw character merchandise from capsules, and figure shops. While children used to be the main consumers of toys, a massive wave of adult consumers with a strong interest in animation and games has recently flowed into the market.

Drinking-related indicators are also clearly declining. Last year's total alcohol import value stood at around $1.2 billion, down 13% from $1.4 billion two years ago. Alcoholic beverage companies such as Lotte Chilsung and HiteJinro also saw their operating profits drop by 9% and 17%, respectively, last year compared to the previous year, with the decrease in alcohol consumption being reflected in the numbers.

Some analyze that as youth employment conditions remain unstable and the burden of dining out and housing costs grows, a trend of "small luxuries" that deliver satisfaction at a relatively low cost compared to drinking gatherings is spreading among the generation in their 20s and 30s.

Reported by Kim Taewon | Video by Ryu Jisoo | Graphics by Yook Dohyun | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.