SEOUL, April 20 (Korea Bizwire) – Neighborhood ‘mat-jibs’ are enjoying rising popularity in the midst of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.
Mat-jib is a Korean term to describe a good and delicious restaurant.
This trend indicates that people are showing more preference towards the restaurants in their neighborhood than those in remote areas.
Shinhan Card Co., a major credit card company in South Korea, analyzed the number of credit card payments made in the second quarter of last year.
The analysis showed that the number of credit card payments made in tourism commercial districts and station districts during the second quarter of last year fell by 46.1 percent and 51.1 percent compared to a year ago.
In contrast, the number of credit card payments made in residential commercial districts jumped by 24.6 percent year on year.
The Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. introduced the results in its report, saying that neighborhood consumption is increasing since it has advantages including safety, convenience and accessibility.
The report noted that the biggest reason why neighborhood commercial districts now have stable demand is the social distancing rule that puts restrictions on remote travel, adding that the psychological relief of being around home also played a certain role.
In the meantime, among the orders placed last year through the food delivery app Baedal Minjok, 48.6 percent were made within a distance of 1 kilometer from the restaurants concerned.
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