In its annual report for last year, the U.S.-based music industry analytics company Luminate on Jan. 10 said Gen Z K-pop fans in the U.S. spent 2.4 times more than average listeners on related merchandise. Seen is girl group NewJeans performing on Aug. 3 at the concert Lollapalooza Chicago in Chicago. (NewJeans' official Facebook page)

By Yoon Seungjin

Gen Z K-pop fans in the U.S. shell out 2.4 times more than average listeners on related merchandise.

The U.S.-based music industry analytics platform Luminate on Jan. 10 said this in its annual report for last year.

Gen Z K-pop enthusiasts in the U.S. spent a monthly average of USD 24 (about KRW 30,000) on merchandise, the report said. This amount was not only 140% more than that of average listeners in America of USD 10 but USD 8 higher than that by fans of Japanese pop.

Luminate attributed the higher spending on K-pop to the unique characteristic of "super fans," referring to an exceptionally passionate and engaged fan community.

The report added that K-pop fans in the U.S. were 50% more likely than average listeners to purchase merchandise even from performances or events they did not attend. The number of respondents who wanted more product options was also 60% higher than average.

Highlighting the huge sum K-pop fans in the U.S. spent on merchandise last year, Luminate Vice President Helena Kosinski said, "So I think this just shows that there is a huge opportunity in merch to meet the fans' needs and increase revenues for artists."

scf2979@korea.kr