Celebrity goods are emerging as popular items on mobile marketplace apps. These goods include products featuring the celebrity's face or group logo printed on cups, shirts, towels, bags, etc. Recently, products have expanded their scope to dolls (plushies) taking the form of the celebrity and accessories among other goods. According to the Lightning Marketplace app, the domestic market for goods is valued at approximately 10 billion won.
An analysis of the search words used by app-users in 2016 shows that the most actively-searched group was EXO, with 1,363,699 hits. In second place was BTS with 936,533 hits. These two groups accounted for 80% of the searches related to celebrity goods.
They are followed by Seventeen, BTOB, I.O.I, Twice, Darren Wang, Big Bang, iKON, and Infinite, in that order.
[Spoiler (click to open)]
1. EXO (1,363,699)
2. BTS (936,533)
3. Seventeen (280,917)
4. BTOB (92,220)
5. I.O.I (51,172)
6. Twice (43,201)
7. Darren Wang (35,525)
8. Big Bang (29,534)
9. iKON (16,084)
10. Infinite (13,125)
Among the variety of goods, dolls (plushies) are especially popular. In the case of EXO, the terms ‘EXO doll’, ‘Beary’, and ‘Ddundae’ dolls (among others) account for 50% of the total searches.
'곰인이' (Beary) EXO doll
'뚠대' (Ddundae) Chen doll
A representative from 'Quicket' (Quick Market), which oversees the Lightning Marketplace app, explains, “the sales volume for celebrity goods is a testament to what fandom power can do. Officially-made goods are actively traded on the marketplace.”
Source: Hankyung via Naver (+ translated by me), theqoo, justchen
Do you collect k-pop goods? Are k-pop dolls cute or creepy?
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