Rain boosts pajeon sales by 88%

By Isaac Kim

Rainy days inspire some to seek pajeon.

Pajeon (Korean-style pancakes) restaurants see an 88 percent increase in sales when it rains moderately.

BCcard collected data on people’s credit activity from the hours of 6 p.m. through midnight between June and July in Seoul. Their analysis revealed people sought after specialty restaurants such as those dispensing pajeon when it rained.

Pajeon specialty restaurants sold 33 percent more on rainy days than clear days.

Folk bars and late-night restaurants also increased their sales by 18.3 and 3.1 percent, respectively.

The amount of rain also influenced sales.

Slight drizzles (less than 30mm of rainfall) and heavy rain (over 80mm) did not boost sales as much as when rainfall was moderate (30 to 80mm).

During days of moderate rain, pajeon sales increased by 88 percent while folk bars’ increased by 59.5 percent and late-night restaurants’ by 47.5 percent.

On a side note, ice cream stores and naengmyeon (cold noodles) restaurants sold overwhelmingly more on sunny days than rainy days.

One BCcard merchant said, “Office workers concentrated in the central, Jongno, Gangnam, Seocho, and Yeongdeungpo areas had similar preferences.”