South Korean cafe owners struggle with rapid SNS dessert trends

Small business owners in South Korea are struggling with the rapid turnover of dessert trends driven by social media. Previously, popular food items might remain in demand for a year, but current cycles often last only two to three months.

Recent trends such as Dubai chewy cookies, butter rice cakes, and various fruit-based desserts have seen sharp spikes in search volume on platforms like Naver Data Lab, followed by immediate declines. This volatility creates significant financial risks for cafe and bakery owners. To keep up with consumer demand, owners often purchase ingredients at inflated prices to launch products quickly, only to be left with excess stock when the trend vanishes.

Experts suggest that business owners may need to adopt new strategies, such as taking pre-orders or selling in limited quantities, to mitigate the burden of inventory costs caused by these fleeting digital trends.