“I can’t sell it because I don’t have it”…1.7 million won ‘Auntie’ sold out in 4 minutes
“2,000 robot vacuum cleaners costing over $1 million each sold out in 4 minutes”
According to CJ OnStyle, 2,000 units of the robot vacuum cleaner “Roborock S8 Pro Ultra” were sold in four minutes during the broadcast of “Kang Joo Eun’s Good Life” on the 6th, reaching an order value of 3 billion won.
Robotic vacuum cleaners, one of the so-called “three aunts,” which are home appliances that reduce the burden of household chores, are very popular. In addition to the existing essential home appliances, robot vacuum cleaners are new appliances that are considered the three aunts along with dryers and dishwashers.
According to the industry on the 9th, the Roborock S8, which was released in April this year, sold 2,000 units in four minutes when CJ OnStyle put it on the air for the first time during a domestic home shopping program. An official from CJ ON STYLE said, “These are orders received during the broadcast, not orders received in advance before the broadcast,” and explained, “Despite the high price (1.69 million won), which is close to 1.7 million won, it is a product that is causing a shortage phenomenon to the extent that people say ‘I can’t sell it because I don’t have it’.”
Photo: G-market
The popularity of robot vacuum cleaners is not limited to the home shopping industry. On G-market, an e-commerce site affiliated with Shinsegae Group, robot vacuum cleaners accounted for the first and second place in sales during ‘Big Smile Day,’ a discount event held from the 8th to the 12th of last month. In the case of the No. 1 product, Roborock S8, sales reached 11.4 billion won over 12 days on G-market and auctions during the event.
According to price comparison site Danaa, robot vacuum cleaner transactions in the first quarter of this year increased by 23.7% year-on-year. Compared to the first quarter of 2021, two years ago, the figure jumped 74%. April was another strong month for robotic vacuum cleaners, with a 41% increase in transaction value.
Along with dryers and dishwashers, robotic vacuum cleaners, often referred to as the “third aunt,” are becoming a favorite among millennials in their 30s. The analysis suggests that working thirty-somethings are opening their wallets to home appliances that reduce household labor fatigue.
CJ OnStyle announced on the 8th that it sold the robot vacuum cleaner토토사이트 ‘Roborock S8 Pro Ultra’ (hereinafter referred to as Roborock S8) for the first time during home shopping on the living program ‘Kang Joo-eun’s Good Life’ on the 6th. Photo courtesy of CJ ONSTYLE
For example, 54% of the customers who purchased the Roborock S8 during the CJ OnStyle Roborock S8 sales broadcast were in their 30s. Those aged 30 to 34 were first, and those aged 35 to 39 were second. An official from CJ ON STYLE explained, “This is a markedly different trend from regular TV home shopping broadcasts, where middle-aged and elderly people are the main customers.” “Millennials, who seek a convenient life, have a particularly high preference for premium new appliances.”
In particular, expensive robot vacuum cleaners with enhanced convenience are popular. Robotic vacuum cleaners with stations that have automated functions, such as automatic dusting or mopping, are selling well despite their relatively high price.
According to Tanawa, robot vacuum cleaners with stations equipped with automatic dusting functions accounted for 61% of sales in the first quarter. This is up 20 percentage points from the first quarter of last year and 59 percentage points from the first quarter of 2021. The share of products with automatic mop cleaning was 26%, up 22 percentage points from Q1 last year.
The average unit price of robot vacuums trended upward as the share of higher-priced robot vacuums increased. The average purchase price of a robot vacuum cleaner in the first quarter was KRW 645,000, up KRW 129,000 from the first quarter of last year (KRW 516,000) and KRW 208,000 from the first quarter of 2021 (KRW 437,000).
Coupang is accepting pre-orders for EcoVacs’ new product ‘Divot T20 Omni’ until the 11th of this month. Photo courtesy of Coupang
The popularity of robot vacuum cleaners has led retailers to start offering them.
Shinsegae Gangnam, the No. 1 department store in Korea, will open a pop-up store of robot vacuum cleaner brand ‘Roborock’ for a month from the 12th of this month. It is the first pop-up store in the domestic department store industry.
E-commerce powerhouse Coupang is accepting pre-orders for EcoBags’ new Divot T20 Omni until the 11th of this month. Additional discounts are available for members of Coupang’s paid membership program, Wow Membership. “The robot vacuum cleaner market has recently grown 74% from two years ago, and sales of high-end premium products have more than doubled,” said Lee Byung-hee, head of Coupang’s retail division.