[THE INVESTOR] Vitamins and other health products have overtaken Korean beef as the most popular gifts for next week’s Chuseok holiday, data showed on Sept. 7.

Health products accounted for 36.5 percent of gift set sales at Lotte Department Store from Aug. 26 to Sept. 5, according to data compiled by the major South Korean department store.

Health products were followed by processed foods and daily necessities with 20.1 percent. Sales of Korean beef, known as hanwoo, came in a distant third with 9.8 percent.

The department store said hanwoo gift sets had been the most popular among South Koreans for the past five years.

Sales of hanwoo gift sets accounted for 25.7 percent of total sets sold at Lotte Department Store ahead of the Lunar New Year’s holiday earlier this year. Most hanwoo gift sets are priced at more than 100,000 won (US$91).

Still, sets that consist of processed foods and daily necessities which are priced under 50,000 won have become popular among local consumers ahead of Chuseok, the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving Day, which falls on Sept. 15.

Health products, whose prices range from 50,000 won to 100,000 won, are also popular.

(theinvestor@heraldcorp.com)