As of September 12, 2026, this year's Chuseok (Korea's fall harvest holiday) gift market is splitting sharply between no-frills, budget-friendly sets and eye-popping luxury items. Convenience store chains are stocking walking robots priced around $23,000 (₩31 million) and wine sets nearing $7,000 (₩9.5 million), while food companies expand both value packs and premium lineups to reach an increasingly divided customer base.
Key points
- Rising prices and interest rates are driving a split between budget-friendly and ultra-premium Chuseok gifts.
- CJ CheilJedang rolled out its largest-ever lineup of gift sets this year, expanding its seafood offerings including tuna.
- Convenience store chains are pitching humanoid and emotion-sensing social robots, plus pricey wine and whisky, as novelty gifts.
- Some convenience chains sharply expanded fresh food like hanwoo (Korean beef) and gulbi (dried corvina), plus single- and two-person portions.
With Chuseok, Korea's fall harvest holiday, approaching, gift-set lineups across the food and retail industries are splitting into two camps. Amid ongoing pressure from high prices and interest rates, budget-conscious, practical sets are multiplying right alongside limited-edition items priced sky-high.
CJ CheilJedang expanded this year's holiday gift lineup to its largest-ever number of items, building a new premium line around one of its tuna brands and outlining plans to grow its seafood offerings further. Daesang's Chungjungwon brand likewise paired everyday staples — seasonings, cooking oil — with a high-end line of olive oil sets sorted by varietal. Dongwon F&B put together more than 100 sets, with a noticeably bigger share going to high-protein tuna products.
Convenience store chains are leaning hardest into novelty. Humanoid walking robots and emotion-sensing social robots showed up on shelves with price tags in the tens of thousands of dollars and the thousands of dollars, respectively, alongside cheaper options like a Go-playing robot or a robot-shaped keyring that can hold conversations. In the liquor aisle, a wine set built around a specific vintage came in just under $7,000, next to bottles of long-aged whisky.
Character IP merchandise and desserts built on hotel bakery recipes are aimed squarely at younger shoppers. Others went the opposite direction, leaning into fresh food: hanwoo (Korean beef) and gulbi (dried, salted corvina) — Chuseok staples — made it onto convenience store shelves, including smaller hanwoo portions sized for shoppers spending the holiday alone.
Department stores, meanwhile, widened pre-order volumes and discounts. Some sharply increased their hanwoo-focused meat set inventory, while others expanded pre-order categories to include liquor, desserts and health foods — with some pre-order discounts reaching as much as half off.
FAQ
Why are there robots in this year's Chuseok gift sets?
Convenience store chains added them to stand out and offer novelty beyond the usual food-focused lineups.
Do the ultra-expensive gift sets actually sell?
The priciest items are made in limited quantities; retailers say the goal is buzz and a premium image as much as volume sales.
Are budget-friendly gifts still popular?
Yes — practical, lower-cost sets like assorted jeon (savory pancakes), mandu (dumplings) and kimchi remain a broad part of every retailer's lineup.







































