KakaoTalk gifting service used nearly 200 mil. times this year

KakaoTalk's gifting service was used nearly 200 million times this year, Kakao Corp. said Thursday. Data from the company showed approximately 189 million gifts were sent through Dec. 17, translating to an average of 540,000 gifts per day. The service offers 640,000 types of gifts from some 8,700 brands. The most popular item was a Starbucks gift certificate, followed by certificates from leading food delivery application Baemin, discount retailer Emart and beauty chain Olive Young. One notable trend was users buying gifts for themselves. Popular items in that category included luxury cosmetic brands Dior and Prada, as well as British home appliance maker Dyson, which ranked No. 1, 6 and 3, respectively. Beauty gift certificates ranked first on "Wish Lists," showing users favor practical gifts that let recipients choose based on personal tastes. The gifting service was most heavily used on Nov. 11, widely known here as Pepero Day, the same as last year, followed by Valentine's Day and Teachers' Day. The company said data reveals a trend toward respecting individual preferences, with "practi