Consumers named healthcare robots and massage chairs as the home appliance they most want to receive as a gift ahead of Chuseok, the Korean harvest holiday.
Bodyfriend said on the 15th that healthcare robots and massage chairs ranked first at 44% in response to a question about the gift respondents most want to receive from family during the holiday. The survey was conducted by mobile research platform Open Survey on behalf of the company.
Robot vacuums came second at 30%, followed by food waste disposers at 22%, air purifiers and humidifiers at 13%, clothes dryers at 12.4% and clothing care systems at 12%. Among respondents in their 40s and 50s, who show stronger interest in healthcare, preference for massage chairs and healthcare robots was higher, at 49.6% and 50.5%, respectively.
Health was the main reason for choosing healthcare robots and massage chairs as a holiday gift. Among respondents who selected those products, 77.1% said they expected the devices to help their health, followed by 33.1% who said they would use them often and 21.0% who said a family member had wanted the product.
Bodyfriend drew the highest brand preference. Asked which brand they would like to receive, 52.7% of respondents who chose healthcare robots or massage chairs as their preferred holiday gift picked Bodyfriend.
A Bodyfriend official said the survey confirmed that health is the core value in holiday gifts, adding that the company will continue to build a holiday gift culture in which entire families can manage their health in daily life through AI healthcare robots that combine artificial intelligence, robotics and digital healthcare technology.
Bodyfriend is meanwhile running a Chuseok festival promotion featuring generative AI massage services. During the event, customers who sign up for eligible products at Bodyfriend lounges nationwide can use them under a rental plan, with monthly payments starting in the 2,000-won range when advance payments and affiliated credit card benefits are applied.
