🍅 Why Tomato Searches on Ohouse
Jumped 312% in Four Weeks

2026.09

Have you tried a tomato menu item this summer? Cherry tomatoes on frozen yogurt, tomato bingsu with a sprinkle of black pepper, even tomato-flavored Mychew chews on the shelves at Olive Young. But this season, tomatoes didn't stop at food. Tomato stems appeared on eyeglass temples, tomato cushions landed on beds, and a tomato character charm showed up in an eyewear brand's campaign shots.

In this issue, we first look at how tomatoes made their way into merch. Next, we show 7 mockups that an O-SEAN merch specialist drew with space left for your logo, and for the items we can make right away, we lay out the minimum order quantity and production time in a table. At the end, you'll find the Inuyasha pop-up review we promised in the last issue.

It started with eyewear. In May, Gentle Monster unveiled its Veggie Collection with aespa's Karina, putting tomato stems on the eyeglass temples. The lineup of 10 foldable frames inspired by vegetable shapes officially launched on June 5, and on-the-ground reports said popular models sold out quickly after the May pre-order.

(Gentle Monster Veggie Collection campaign · ⓒGENTLE MONSTER · press image published by Digital Daily)

Food moved even faster. On March 26, Yoajung released 6 low-sugar tomato frozen yogurt items topped with stevia cherry tomatoes, with about 78% less sugar than its regular frozen yogurt. Crown Confectionery's tomato-flavored Mychew launched first at Olive Young, reached No. 1 in the online store's snacks · chocolate · dessert category within a week of launch, and ran short at some stores. Reviews said things like "surprisingly refreshing" and "feels like a guilt-free snack." Banapresso released a snowflake-style tomato bingsu topped with fresh tomatoes for KRW 4,900, and eating it with a sprinkle of black pepper became a talking point on social media.

(Yoajung It's Tomato lineup · ⓒYoajung · press image published by Newsis)

(Tomato-flavored Mychew · ⓒCrown Confectionery · press image published by Money Today)

Next came the home. According to data Ohouse released on July 14, searches for 'tomato home decor' rose 312% over the four weeks from June 15 to July 12 compared with the previous four weeks. Searches for tomato cushions rose 163%, tomato cups 55%, and tomato lights 16%. Ohouse explained it this way: demand keeps growing for seasonal accent pieces that change the mood of a home.

(Tomato light · ⓒOhouse · press image published by Kyunghyang Shinmun)

(Tomato cushion styling · ⓒOhouse · press image published by Mega Economy)

(Sources: Ohouse search data release, 2026-07-14 · Newsis, 2026-03-26 · Money Today, 2026-05-16 · Digital Daily, 2026-06-04)

To sum up, there is an order to it. The trend started with food, moved to things we wear, and then to things we keep at home. For merch buyers, the last stage is what matters. Once a trend reaches home decor, it becomes easy to add a logo. Strong colors and simple shapes read at a glance, even on small items. You can see which items we've put logos on, and how, in our case studies.

An O-SEAN merch specialist drew 7 mockups, leaving space for your logo. For each item, we placed the O-SEAN mockup next to a similar product actually sold on the market, with its list price and reviews. We also noted where each item works well. You can see all 7 mockups on the O-SEAN Instagram as well.

① Earphone cord winder · A red tomato body with a green stem that holds the cord. It suits spots where it stays on a desk for a long time, like a new-hire welcome kit or a giveaway at an IT event. On idus, a hand-knitted tomato cord winder is listed at KRW 5,000.

② Mini keyring · A single small tomato to hang on a bag or ID lanyard. It works for large events where you need an item that stands out while keeping the unit cost down. A tomato keycap keyring that lights up when you press the key sells for KRW 18,000 on idus, with a 5.0 rating from 2 reviews.

③ AirPods case · A single tomato on a white case, with the logo placed small in the empty space beside it. It works well when you need something the recipient takes out every day, like an employee gift. Nineteen Friday's tomato dot case costs KRW 13,800, and reviews mention that it is nice and light.

④ Notebook · A large tomato in the center of the cover, with the logo placed small at the bottom. It fits occasions where it is handed out with materials, like seminars or workshops. The tomato bound notebook from Daiso's 2026 Fruit Series costs KRW 1,000 and has a 4.9 rating from 4 reviews.

⑤ Phone case · A single tomato on a cream background, with the logo in the lettering space above it. It fits fan events and events for brands with a loyal fan base. Channel202's resin phone case has a single tomato sitting on top of the case, listed at KRW 21,000 and currently 25% off.

⑥ Cushion · A cushion cut to the shape of a tomato. We suggest it for an office renovation celebration or as merch for lounges and break areas. The tomato cushion Ottogi made in collaboration with ESSA sells for KRW 98,000. It is worth noting as a case of a food brand moving into merch.

⑦ Pouch · A pouch mockup made in the exact shape of a tomato. We designed it with beauty · lifestyle brand events and collaboration merch in mind. Daiso's tomato-shaped pouch costs KRW 1,000, has a 4.9 rating from 176 reviews, and is currently sold out.

(Sources: product pages on idus·Nineteen Friday·Daiso Mall·Zigzag·ESSA · checked Sep 8, 2026)

In the next section, we show product photos and terms for the items we can make right away.

You don't have to use these mockups as they are. We redraw the logo position, colors, and stem shape to fit your brand. Mockups are free, so just tell us the name of the item you like.

Of the 7, 3 have base items in the O-SEAN catalog, so production can start as soon as the mockup is confirmed. For the keyring, you can choose between acrylic and keycap LED. The other 4 are custom-made.

(Acrylic keyring · made by O-SEAN)

(A5 notepad · made by O-SEAN)

(Custom-shaped cushion · made by O-SEAN)

(Keycap LED keyring · made by O-SEAN)

(Source: o-sean.io product pages · checked Sep 8, 2026)

The cord winder, AirPods case, phone case, and pouch are custom-made items. There is no base item, but you can decide the shape and color from scratch, and your dedicated consultant will line up a manufacturer after hearing your quantity and schedule. For these 4 items, please write "tomato mockup" in your inquiry.

If you're unsure about quantity, we recommend starting with keyrings. They start at 50 pcs and are ready in about a week after mockup approval, so you can see how people respond before expanding to other items.

We promised at the end of the last issue: an O-SEAN editor had booked the Inuyasha pop-up and would report back after the visit. Reservations at opening were highly competitive, so we went to the store feeling like we were hunting for the Shikon Jewel. We've posted the on-site video on O-SEAN's Instagram Reels (@o_sean_official).

(Inuyasha pop-up store entrance · photo by O-SEAN · ⓒRumiko Takahashi / Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise 2009)

Where and when? In Hongdae, it is at LIMITION on the 4th floor of AK Plaza Hongdae (188 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu), and in Suwon, at SMG STORE on the 5th floor of AK Plaza Suwon (924 Deogyeong-daero, Paldal-gu). It runs for three weeks, from September 1 to 22. Hongdae is open 11:00-22:00 on weekdays and 10:30-22:00 on weekends, and Suwon is open 10:30-22:00 every day. Until September 6, entry was by advance reservation, with walk-ins admitted from the waiting line when there were no-shows. From September 7, entry is open with no reservation needed.

(Store display · photo by O-SEAN · ⓒRumiko Takahashi / Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise 2009)

What merch is there? The price range is wide: four-cut photo film for KRW 4,000, Shikon Jewel can badges for KRW 6,000, ema keyrings for KRW 11,000, and acrylic stands from KRW 16,000. Many items were meant for desks and walls, such as mouse pads, character card sets, and a Sesshomaru tapestry. Since prices start with KRW 4,000 film, even first-time visitors don't leave empty-handed.

There are purchase perks, too. Spend KRW 20,000 or more and you get a random coaster plus an entry into a lucky draw for tickets to the theatrical film. Spend KRW 50,000 or more and you also get a memorial card.

(Random perk card · photo by O-SEAN · ⓒRumiko Takahashi / Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise 2009)

What caught our merch specialist's eye first was the price structure. Unit prices step up from KRW 4,000 film to KRW 6,000 can badges, KRW 11,000 keyrings, and KRW 16,000 stands, with perks attached at the KRW 20,000 and KRW 50,000 levels. First-time visitors easily pick up one item, and fans add one more item to reach a perk.

Corporate event giveaways can be split into two tiers the same way: one base item for everyone, and one higher-tier item for those who meet a condition, such as completing a survey or visiting a booth. With tiers in place, merch drives participation too.

If you're an Inuyasha fan, be sure to go before the 22nd. Even if you're not, it's worth seeing which items on the merch table run out first. No poll is more honest than the order in which things sell out. Pop-ups you can still visit after mid-September are listed in the schedule from our last issue.