Coway targets young consumers with water purifiers, recliners

Coway's ICON water purifier with ice-maker function / Courtesy of Coway By Ko Dong-hwan Coway is targeting young consumers with its new water purifiers and electronic recliners as an increasing number of single-person and two-person households in the country are demanding smaller home appliances and furniture, according to the major home appliance manufacturer, Monday. The company’s key products have primarily been popular among larger households, leading to the impression that smaller households do not require them. However, with demographic changes showing that 66 percent of the country’s total households — approximately 15 million — are either individuals living alone or married couples without children, the company has begun to focus on their increasing needs.

The key was designing smaller products to better fit the compact living spaces often occupied by young consumers. Currently, Coway's most popular water purifiers are characterized by their slim designs. By eliminating various auxiliary functions, these devices focus on providing clean, healthy drinking water while maintaining a compact form.



A mini water purifier, for example, runs on no power, making it possible to be placed anywhere in a small compact home and generating zero power cost. This product’s sales this year have jumped over 70 percent compared to the previous year. Coway's Berex Pebble Chair / Courtesy of Coway In 2021, the company launched a popular water purifier with a slim design.

The Icon series, which combines water purifiers and ice makers, sold over 1 million units — marking the first time since 2012 that the company’s slim water purifier sales reached this milestone. Electronic recliners have traditionally been popular among middle-aged and older consumers. However, Coway challenged this perception by creating a new trend that includes electronic recliners for younger consumers as well.

A recent model under Berex, the company’s brand for recliners, has reduced its volume by 49 percent from its previous model and still retains the same power for effective massaging functions and ergonomic features. Berex Pebble Chair, another model, boasts a compact and curvy design that didn’t exist in older models, making it look more like a lounge chair that enhances any interior space. “We wanted to upend the belief that water purifiers and electronic recliners are only in households with a large family or a huge, luxurious interior space,” a company official said.

“Instead we focused on making them smaller and designing them sleeker.”.