SEOUL, Dec. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — As more people are spending time at home following the introduction of a government-mandated 52-hour workweek, an increasing number of South Korean women are building their own furniture and redecorating or renovating their homes with professional equipment.
The recent trend is reportedly led by the increasing number of one-person workshops offering lessons on furniture-making as well as related content proliferating on TV broadcasts and visa social media.
Gmarket, a major online shopping mall, reported on Sunday that lumber sales among female customers as of November 25 had increased fivefold since last year along with surge in sales of professional equipment used for woodworking.
Sales of tools used to make holes or smoothen the edges of wood materials have also increased fivefold.
Female customers also purchased more clamps (61 percent), hinges (62 percent), and sandpaper (35 percent), showing that they are going beyond putting together do-it-yourself (DIY) furniture to buy raw materials and use professional tools to make their own furniture.
Sales of tools used for home repair are also on the rise among female consumers. Sales of spanners tripled, while sales of electric drills and tool sets increased by 24 and 13 percent, respectively.
Female consumers bought more faucets (174 percent) and switches (35 percent) as well.
“In the past, female consumers normally bought small items to decorate their homes. Now, they are increasingly taking up the challenge to build furniture themselves, replace wallpaper and flooring, and other more professional work,” said Gmarket.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
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This article is fascinating! It’s interesting to see the rise of DIY furniture making among Korean women. The idea of one-person workshops offering furniture-making lessons is a great way to empower people to create their own spaces.
In the article, it mentioned sales of professional home improvement tools have risen among female customers. Are there any specific tools that are particularly popular for women who are getting started with DIY furniture making? It would be helpful to know what essentials to recommend to friends who are interested in trying it out.