Office Workers Face Rising Lunch Costs and Embrace “Snacking” Culture
Seoul – The lunchtime experience for office workers in the metropolitan area has taken a hit as prices continue to rise. With the cost of a single lunch easily surpassing 10,000 won ($8.50), many are turning to convenience stores for affordable alternatives. Kim Eun-jeong, a 29-year-old office worker from Gwanghwamun, spoke out about the burden of food costs, stating, “If I eat lunch with my colleagues and go to a cafe, it easily costs me at least 15,000 won.” In response, she has resorted to quick convenience store meals, allowing her to enjoy personal time during the remainder of her lunch break.
This growing trend of “snacking” – consuming simple, filling meals reminiscent of snacks – has emerged as a solution for office workers grappling with lunchtime inflation. Instead of traditional rice-based meals, many are now opting for convenience store sandwiches or salads, saving both money and time. With this newfound flexibility, office workers are using their additional free time to pursue self-development or engage in hobbies.
According to data analysis conducted by KB Kookmin Card, lunch expenses have risen dramatically for office workers in Seoul’s business districts, including Gwanghwamun, Gangnam, Yeouido, Guro, and Pangyo. On average, office workers make 21 lunch payments per month, spending around 11,000 won per day. This represents a 17% increase in monthly usage compared to four years ago, with individual spending per transaction rising by 13%.
As lunch costs exceed 10,000 won, more and more office workers are heading to convenience stores to alleviate the financial strain. Major businesses in these areas have witnessed a 20% surge in lunchtime spending, with individuals now using convenience stores 5.4 times per month, amounting to an 11% increase in spending per transaction.
Yang, a 27-year-old office worker in a small and medium-sized enterprise, expressed her concerns, stating, “The company’s meal support of 8,000 won is inadequate given the rising prices.” She further added, “In the past year, prices at restaurants near our office have consistently gone up.”
Due to the phenomenon known as “lunch inflation,” which has persisted from the previous year, a small fraction of office workers have abandoned the practice of skipping lunch altogether. Embrain Trend Monitor conducted a nationwide survey, revealing that 32.6% of office workers skip lunch completely, while 43.5% opt for simple meals like gimbap.
Nevertheless, some office workers have managed to make the most of their lunch hour by focusing on self-development and personal activities. In contrast to the past, where lunchtime served as an opportunity to socialize with colleagues, it has now become a valuable moment of personal indulgence.
Exercise and reading have emerged as popular lunchtime activities among office workers, as evidenced by the growing number of Instagram posts under hashtags like #lunchexercise and #lunchhealth. With office workers willingly sacrificing their lunch breaks for physical fitness or intellectual stimulation, local gyms have reported increased attendance even during lunch hours.
While the “snacking” culture has gained popularity, not everyone views solo meals in a positive light. Park, a 29-year-old office worker who opts for salads in an effort to maintain a healthy diet, revealed his struggles. “I always eat salad for lunch to control my diet, but my boss often questions why I don’t eat with my colleagues,” he confessed.
This phenomenon sheds light on the changing dynamics of the lunchtime experience for office workers, with rising costs pushing individuals towards alternative options. As more workers embrace the “snacking” trend and explore diverse activities during their lunch breaks, the traditional lunch culture of camaraderie and socialization is gradually giving way to personal pursuits.
About the author:
Heo Mi-dam is a correspondent for Entertainment & Lifestyle at Asiae.co.kr.
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# Kim Eun-jeong (29), who works in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, started using convenience stores from the beginning of this year due to rising prices. This is because the burden of food costs has increased as the number of menu items won well over 10,000 has increased. Mr. Kim said, “If I eat lunch with my teammates outside and go to the cafe, at least 15,000 have been won.” He added, “I eat lunch quickly, and in the rest of my lunch break, I go for a walk or enjoy my personal time.”
As the cost of lunch increases among office workers due to daily rising prices, a culture of “snacking” is spreading in some parts of the country. ‘Snack’ is a word that means eating quickly with a simple menu, just like eating a snack. For example, it’s a way to fill a meal with convenience store sandwiches or salad instead of rice. After replacing a light meal with convenience food, office workers seem to be engrossed in self-development or hobbies with the remaining time.
Office workers with thin wallets … He earned 240,000 a month for lunch alone
Office workers pack their lunches and move in Myeong-dong, Seoul.
With restaurant prices skyrocketing, the burden of lunch costs for office workers is increasing. KB Kookmin Card analyzed the big data of credit and check card sales (January to May) in five business districts in Seoul, including Gwanghwamun, Gangnam, Yeouido, Guro, and Pangyo. It was examined that 239,000 were won. They make an average of 21 payments each month, and spend around 11,000 earned per day on average. The average monthly usage amount per person increased by 17% compared to the same period four years ago, and the usage amount per case also increased by 13%.
As the cost of lunch was more than 10,000 won, the number of office workers who went to convenience stores to save money on food also increased. Convenience stores in major business areas saw a 20% increase in spending during lunch hours. The number of uses per person increased from 5 times per month to 5.4 times, and the amount used per case increased by 11%.
Mrs Yang (27), who works in a small and medium-sized business, said, “The company supports 8,000 won for a meal, but it is much less than the price these days.” Then he admitted, “During the last year, the price of every restaurant near the company has gone up.”
Due to the phenomenon of ‘lunch inflation (lunch + inflation)’ which continues this year as well as last year, it has been found that a few office workers do not skip lunch at all.
In April, Embrain Trend Monitor conducted an ’employee lunch awareness survey’ of 1,000 office workers aged 19 to 59 across the country, and found that 3 in 10 office workers (32.6%) skipped lunch in completely, and 3 out of 10 office workers without lunch at all 4 out of 10 people (43.5%) were stuffed with simple food like gimbap.
Exercise or read during your lunch hour
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Among them, some office workers save money by only eating lunch, as well as spending time on self-development even for a short time. In the past, lunchtime was used as a time to get to know colleagues, but now the trend to use it as a complete break for yourself has confirmed.
Office workers use their lunch time to take part in activities such as exercise or reading a book. In fact, if you search for hashtags (#) like ‘lunch exercise’ or ‘lunch health’ on Instagram, hundreds of posts will come up. One netizen uploaded a photo of himself exercising and said, “The gym in front of the company is crowded even during lunchtime.”
However, some people still have a negative view of ‘single meals’ dinners. Mr Park (29), an office worker who eats salad alone to take a body profile, said, “I always eat salad for lunch to control my diet, but my boss asks me, ‘Why not will you eat together? he had no choice but to eat it together,” he admitted.
Correspondent Heo Mi-dam damdam@asiae.co.kr
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