The recently published presents ‘Price Decoding’ as one of the core keywords defining the consumption trends of the upcoming year 2026. This signifies an ultra-rational consumer behavior where shoppers no longer accept price tags as a simple, unquestioned finality dictated unilaterally by brands. Instead, they decode the hidden code behind the price—analyzing the cost, distribution margins, and brand value embedded in the price—to determine whether it represents a reasonable price they can accept. Therefore, consumers judge whether a product is premium based on ‘what value the price I pay is grounded in,’ rather than simply pursuing cost-effectiveness.

Particularly in 2026, amidst the rapid proliferation of AI technology, there is a projected trend where, paradoxically, ‘humanity’ and ‘depth’ become even more important. As technology advances, greater emphasis is placed on uniquely human qualities like emotion and the value of relationships. Within this trend, price decoding aligns not only with consumers' pursuit of economic rationality but also with their emotional judgments that prioritize ‘value, authenticity, and story’ in an era of deep technological penetration.

Based on these new consumer purchasing criteria, this article forecasts the future of mainstream products triggered by the ‘price decoding’ trend and explores strategic corporate responses.

(Provided by Clipart Korea, Reprocessed by PLATEER)

🌱 Consumers asking “Why this price?”: 3 defining features of 2026's must-have products

This consumer mindset—analyzing and seeking to understand the value hidden behind a price—is expected to be a key driver reshaping the market landscape in 2026. Rather than relying on vague premiums or brand prestige, consumers will base their choices solely on a product's inherent value and the rationality of its price.

What will be the ‘trend-setting products’ leading the market within this price decoding trend?

1. Dupe products excluding brand premium costs

Dupe, short for Duplicate, refers to products that share similar performance or design with famous brand items but lack the brand name value, making them significantly cheaper. In other words, consumers choose dupes—substitutes—when they highly value the design or performance of high-end brand products but are unwilling to pay the premium associated with the brand logo.

2. Vertical Commerce and D2C Products with Transparent Price Composition

Brands actively disclosing product costs, manufacturing processes, and distribution margins are gaining popularity. Consumers directly assess price rationality based on this information, building trust.

3. Premium Value-for-Money Products Focused on Essential Value

Demand is rising for premium value-for-money products that maximize price efficiency relative to value by focusing on essential functionality. Consumers are particularly willing to pay for core values they prioritize.

In conclusion, within the price decoding trend, products that will dominate the market can be summarized as those that “clearly and transparently demonstrate the correlation between price and value.”

🌱 Consumption Beyond Price: How to Become a Brand That Understands Me?

As consumers increasingly pursue holistic value beyond cost-effectiveness, what brand strategies should companies adopt?

In the era of price decoding, since each consumer values different aspects, brands must meticulously understand which value elements justify the price for each customer. This is where personalized marketing plays a pivotal role. Such strategies can instill ‘trust that our brand goes beyond simply selling products, truly understanding the customer’.

AI-based personalized marketing, in particular, enhances customer experience by analyzing the most relevant product values for each consumer (e.g., quality, brand philosophy, specific features) to recommend personalized products, or by deeply understanding consumer intent and delivering tailored messages.

PLATEER's AI personalized marketing solution ‘groobee’ integrates all the essential features for personalized marketing. It leverages real-time big data processing and AI engines powered by machine learning and deep learning to analyze customer behavior data, automating the entire process from targeting and recommendations to performance analysis.

▶ Visit the groobee homepage [Click]

Furthermore, PLATEER provides ‘XGEN’, an integrated platform supporting the entire AI service development lifecycle—from data management to model development/deployment, collaboration, and monitoring. The agentic AI platform ‘XGEN’ applies RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) technology to enhance AI performance based on a company's internal core data, helping brands maintain consistent information and transparent operations. This is essential for building long-term brand trust.

▶ Visit the XGEN homepage [Click]

By 2026, when price decoding becomes commonplace, consumers will no longer choose based on a brand's claimed value, but on genuine value they can personally verify. Ultimately, the brands leading the market will be those that go beyond good products to offer honest information, transparent operations, and a precise understanding of individual needs. PLATEER will closely observe this trend and work alongside companies to help them adapt naturally to change.

※ Source

Kim Nando et al., Trend Korea 2026, September 2025

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