Consumerism and Marketing: The Commercial Evolution of Halloween

In a subtle yet significant shift this year, major Korean retailers have quietly stepped back from Halloween merchandising, a decision that speaks volumes about collective memory and cultural response to tragedy.

Walking through E-Mart, South Korea’s largest supermarket chain, the absence was striking. No pumpkins lined the aisles, no cobwebs hung from shelves, and no polyester witches dangled among the usual displays. The typical Halloween fanfare had vanished without announcement or explanation.

This deliberate omission wasn’t a general retreat from seasonal marketing. Pepero Day (November 11) displays were prominently featured, with their signature chocolate-dipped cookie sticks ready for the popular gift-giving occasion. Suneung exam snacks—traditional treats for students facing Korea’s high-stakes college entrance examination—were meticulously arranged. Even Christmas decorations twinkled prematurely from their designated sections.

The selective absence points to something more meaningful than mere retail strategy. Three years ago, Itaewon—Seoul’s popular nightlife district—became the site of unimaginable tragedy when 159 people lost their lives during Halloween celebrations. The crowd crush that occurred that night left an indelible mark on the national consciousness, with horrific scenes circulated on social media becoming part of the country’s collective trauma.

Major retailers including E-Mart, Daiso, and Starbucks appear to have made a coordinated decision to forgo Halloween promotions this year, creating a space for remembrance through absence rather than commercialization. This corporate restraint stands in stark contrast to the relentless seasonal marketing cycle that typically characterizes retail strategy in South Korea’s competitive consumer landscape.

The decision represents a rare instance where profit motives seem to have yielded to cultural sensitivity. In a market where seasonal merchandise drives significant revenue, the choice to abstain from Halloween promotions likely impacts bottom lines. Yet the alternative—promoting festive celebrations against the backdrop of recent tragedy—would carry its own costs in consumer goodwill and brand perception.

This phenomenon raises broader questions about how societies process grief and how commercial interests interact with collective memory. The French philosopher Jacques Ellul once observed that modern propaganda requires both individuality and mass society—a population of people who believe they’re making independent choices while moving in lockstep toward the same outcomes.

In this light, even the absence of Halloween merchandise becomes a sophisticated form of messaging. Consumers aren’t being sold Halloween products, but they are being offered a packaged form of commemoration—a branded silence that acknowledges tragedy while maintaining the overall rhythm of consumption. The pumpkins haven’t simply disappeared; they’ve been strategically omitted.

This delicate dance between commemoration and commerce continues as other seasonal promotions proceed uninterrupted. The same retailers foregoing Halloween displays are simultaneously promoting Pepero Day products and preparing Christmas campaigns, highlighting how selective this pause in commercialization truly is.

For the average consumer, this creates an unusual moment of reflection amid the usual shopping experience. The missing Halloween merchandise serves as an unspoken reminder of the Itaewon tragedy, prompting momentary contemplation before the regular patterns of consumption resume.

Market analysts note that this approach represents a uniquely Korean response to tragedy—one that incorporates cultural values of collective mourning and respect for the deceased into commercial practices. Unlike Western markets where tragedy often prompts special edition memorial products, the Korean approach emphasizes absence over presence.

As the third anniversary of the Itaewon tragedy approaches, this retail strategy demonstrates how commemoration can manifest in unexpected ways. In a consumer culture that typically measures everything in sales figures and growth projections, sometimes the most powerful statement is the product that isn’t there, the promotion that never happens, and the holiday that retail decides, just this once, not to sell.