Sory’s market research project experiences

Food & Beverage: Conducted market research across South Korea’s food and beverage sector, covering consumer preferences, product innovation, market trends, and competitive dynamics. Research included Korean consumer attitudes toward snacks, beverages, and emerging food categories, using consumer research, social listening, competitive analysis, and field visits to identify opportunities for brands.

Beauty, Cosmetics & Luxury: Supported market research and learning expeditions for leading cosmetics and beauty groups in South Korea, examining consumer behaviors, emerging beauty trends, product innovation, retail concepts, and competitive positioning. Research combined store visits, expert interviews, consumer insights, social listening, and market analysis to identify current and future opportunities in the Korean beauty market.

Consumer & Retail Trends: Researched South Korea’s rapidly evolving consumer and retail landscape, including the MZ Generation, pop-up stores, e-commerce platforms, co-branding, and experience-led retail. Conducted field visits and analyzed consumer and market data to understand how Korean consumers discover, evaluate, and engage with brands.

Executive Learning Expeditions: Contributed to the design and execution of immersive learning expeditions in Seoul for senior executives from leading cosmetics and consumer companies. Programs combined market briefings, retail and consumer trend analysis, company and store visits, expert discussions, and on-the-ground observations to help executives understand current and emerging trends in South Korea.

Areas of expertise

• China market research & consumer insights
• South Korea market research & consumer insights
• Beauty and cosmetics market research
• Food and beverage market research
• Retail and e-commerce

Industries of expertise

• Beauty and cosmetics
• Food and beverage
• FMCG and consumer goods
• Retail and e-commerce
• Luxury and fashion
• Lifestyle and leisure

Sory’s China & South Korea market research work

Sory’s consulting work focuses on understanding how consumer behavior is changing in China and South Korea and translating these shifts into actionable market insights for international brands.

She has contributed to B2C research across beauty, food and beverage, retail, lifestyle, and other consumer categories, using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies.

Examples of her work include:

• Beauty and cosmetics consumer research. Sory has contributed to research on changing beauty behaviors in China and South Korea, including skincare, cosmetics, sun protection, medical aesthetics, and emerging consumer needs.
• Korean consumer and MZ Generation research. She has led research examining South Korea’s MZ Generation, including their consumption habits, relationships, lifestyles, personalization, and evolving expectations of brands.
• Retail and experiential consumption. Her work examines how Chinese and Korean consumers interact with physical retail, pop-up stores, shopping malls, and experience-led concepts as brands seek new ways to drive engagement.
• Food and beverage market research. Sory researches changing consumption occasions, health and wellness trends, affordability, localization, and new product concepts across China’s and South Korea’s F&B markets.
• China–Korea consumer comparisons. Her cross-market perspective enables brands to identify both similarities and important differences between Chinese and Korean consumers, helping companies understand which consumer trends can be transferred between markets and which require local adaptation.
• Market research learning expeditions. Sory contributes to the planning and execution of learning expeditions in Seoul for leading cosmetics groups, helping executives understand current and emerging consumer behaviors, retail concepts, and innovation trends.

China & South Korea Consumer Trend Thought Leadership

Sory leads and contributes to Daxue Consulting’s research on emerging consumer trends in China and South Korea.

Her work explores how consumers are changing the way they shop, socialize, discover products, and express their identities — and what these changes mean for brands.

South Korea Consumer Trends

• South Korea’s MZ Generation — research into the behaviors, lifestyles, relationships, and consumption patterns of Korea’s Millennials and Gen Z. Sory co-led the Daxue Consulting webinar examining how Korea’s MZ Generation is redefining consumption.
• South Korea’s sports market — examining how fitness, social media, self-expression, and entertainment are reshaping sports consumption in Korea.
• South Korea’s wedding market — analyzing how rising costs and changing consumer priorities are reshaping weddings and related services.
• South Korea’s sleep market — exploring how chronic sleep deprivation is creating new opportunities across wellness, sleep products, and functional beverages.
• South Korea’s oral care market — examining how oral hygiene is increasingly connected with beauty, wellness, and lifestyle among Korean consumers.
• South Korea’s weight-loss market — analyzing how Korean consumers are moving toward more structured, professionalized, and health-oriented approaches to weight management.

China Consumer Trends

• China’s sunscreen market — examining how sun protection is becoming an everyday skincare ritual and how consumers are seeking additional skincare benefits from sunscreen products.
• China’s eye makeup market — analyzing the shift toward softer, more natural-looking beauty aesthetics and the role of Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and other digital platforms in shaping beauty trends.
• China’s bar industry — examining how China’s bar market is moving toward affordable, relaxed, experience-led and culturally relevant social occasions.
• China’s flower market — exploring how flowers are moving beyond traditional gifting to become products associated with emotional wellbeing, lifestyle, self-expression, and social media.
• Investment-driven luxury in China — Sory edited research examining how Chinese consumers are increasingly evaluating luxury purchases through financial, emotional, cultural, and resale value.

China & South Korea Market Research Reports

Sory leads and contributes to Daxue Consulting’s market research reports on China and South Korea, covering both established industries and emerging consumer categories.

Her research publications has included:

• China’s pet economy
• China’s winter sports market
• China’s samples economy
• China’s food and beverage industry white paper
• South Korea’s MZ Generation

Her research methodology combines qualitative research, including field visits and interviews, with quantitative methods, including surveys and social listening. This allows her to connect what consumers say with how they actually behave and what trends are emerging in the market.

Media Coverage & Expert Commentary

Sory is regularly quoted by international media on Chinese consumer behavior, retail, food and beverage, e-commerce, beauty, and emerging consumer trends.

Her commentary has appeared in Business Insider, Boston.com, and other international media outlets.

Chinese Consumer & Food Trends

• Boston.com – Fast food from the US and China catches on in both countries — Sory commented on the growth of American restaurant brands in China’s smaller and inland cities and how international chains need to adapt their offerings to Chinese tastes and consumer habits.

Chinese Gen Z & E-commerce

• Business Insider – The app data has spoken, and Gen Z’s love for Temu is real — commentary on Temu’s appeal among US Gen Z consumers and the implications of Chinese e-commerce platforms’ international growth.

Chinese Consumer Culture & Collectibles

• Business Insider – The viral, ugly doll that’s taking Asia by storm is proving to be one heck of a cash cow — commentary surrounding the explosive popularity of Labubu and Pop Mart and the consumer dynamics behind the phenomenon.
• Business Insider – A fluffy, $85 toy is taking Asia by storm and sparking legions of knockoffs — insight into Labubu’s appeal among Asian consumers and its relationship with self-expression, nostalgia, community, and collectible culture.

Work with Sory

Looking for expert insight into Chinese or South Korean consumers, beauty and cosmetics, food and beverage, retail, e-commerce, or emerging consumer trends? Contact Daxue Consulting at dx@daxueconsulting.com to discuss market research, consumer insights, competitive analysis, learning expeditions, or a custom research project.

For media, please reach out to press@daxueconsulting.com to get in touch with our Asia market insights experts.