This year’s flu season has kicked off over a month earlier than last year, triggering a sharp rise in sales of hygiene products like masks and disinfectants. Some retailers have seen disinfectant sales soar by more than 600%, with the spending spree extending to health teas, herbal drinks, and cold medicines.
Retail industry data from Thursday shows that SSG.com experienced an 84% year-over-year increase in mask sales between August 28 and September 19. Disinfectant and hand sanitizer sales skyrocketed by 642% and 233%, respectively.
During this period, SSG.com also reported a 56% uptick in health tea sales and a 10% boost in health juice sales. These figures suggest a growing consumer focus on health management, coinciding with the increased demand for hygiene products amid the flu outbreak.
Convenience stores and major supermarkets have also seen a surge in sales of related products, particularly masks.
GS25 reported a 31.3% year-over-year increase in mask sales. Notably, children’s mask sales jumped by 48.5%, outpacing the overall growth in mask sales.
Lotte Mart witnessed a 39.4% rise in mask sales. Portable dental kits saw a 12.8% increase, while hand wash sales grew by 2%. Beauty tissue sales also climbed by 1.1%.
Demand for Health-Related Products Rises, Including Job’s Tears Tea, Herbal Drinks, and Cold Medicines
Beyond hygiene products, warm teas, convenience foods, and over-the-counter medicines have also experienced an upward sales trend.
GS25 reported a significant 56.6% year-over-year increase in Job’s tears tea sales, while herbal drink sales rose by 14.5%. Cold medication sales also grew by 8.7%.
At Lotte Mart, sales of functional candies, including throat lozenges, increased by 10.4%. Shelf-stable porridge sales rose by 5.8%. However, herbal drink sales remained relatively stable compared to last year.
While the magnitude of increases varies across retailers and product categories, there’s a clear trend of rising sales in related items, particularly masks and disinfectants. Seasonal factors may also be contributing to the increased sales of health teas and convenience foods.
This consumer trend aligns with the earlier-than-usual onset of the flu season.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency issued a flu outbreak alert for the 2026-2027 season on September 11, a full 36 days earlier than the previous season’s alert on October 17, 2025.
The early flu outbreak has heightened consumer awareness about infection prevention and health management, prompting earlier purchases of related products.
However, given the varying sales trends among retailers, demand for these products may fluctuate depending on the duration of the flu outbreak and upcoming temperature changes.
