Pernod Ricard Korea president addresses changing drinking culture in Korea

Hiking, camping and golf, activities often associated with older people in South Korea, are gaining popularity among people in their 20s and 30s in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a report said Tuesday. According to Gmarket, an e-commerce platform operated by eBay Korea, sales of items related to the three outdoor activities jumped by 24 percent in the first half of this year, compared with a year earlier. The e-commerce platform attributed the rise in popularity of the three activities am

GS25 said Monday the bestselling product from its mobile app for wine and liquor orders was Disaronno, an Amaretto-tasting liqueur. Over 70 percent of wine orders made via the app were made outside of Seoul, it added. The convenience store chain launched the mobile app Wine25 Plus on July 13, allowing customers to order alcoholic beverages and pick them up from a nearby GS25 store. Analyzing the data for the past week, the convenience store operator revealed that 28.8 percent of liquor order

Paris Baguette, South Korea’s biggest bakery brand operated by SPC Group, said Monday it is testing a new subscription business by launching a monthly discount service for its coffee and sandwich menus. Usable once every day for 30 days, the subscription offers either coffee or a sandwich and coffee set, respectively priced at 19,800 won ($16.40) and 48,900 won. There will be 12 sandwich menu choices. Users can subscribe to the service on Happy App, the SPC Group’s mobile applicat

E-commerce giant Coupang has appointed software engineering expert Jeon Joon-hee as the new vice president of engineering for its express delivery service, the company said on Monday. Jeon, who has previously worked at global companies like Google and Uber, will focus on advancing Coupang’s express delivery service known as ”Rocket Delivery.“ “As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the world is watching Coupang’s innovative delivery system, which is fast and precise.

South Korean imports of beer fell for the first time last year in a decade, largely on a nationwide boycott of Japanese products amid a yearlong trade dispute, data showed Sunday. Imports of beer stood at 360,000 tons in 2019, down 7.2 percent from 387,000 tons a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Korea Customs Service. It marked the first on-year decrease since 2009, a sharp turnaround from a 17.1 percent hike in 2018 and a 50.2 percent jump in 2017. Local vendors largely a

South Korea's exports of ice cream to Vietnam jumped 30 percent in 2019 from a year earlier on the back of the growing popularity of Korean culture in Southeast Asia, data showed Sunday. Outbound shipments of ice cream to Vietnam reached $7 million in 2019, rising sharply from $5.3 million a year earlier, according to the report released by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA). In contrast, Thailand, the top player in the segment, saw its ice cream exports to Vietnam only edge

Korea Yakult announced Friday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with a government institution to lay the groundwork for development of a marine microalga-derived material that improves cognitive abilities and helps prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The company -- a household name in the yogurt and fermented dairy product market in South Korea -- will join hands with Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to jointly co

Craft beer is expanding its market share in South Korea, with sales at convenience stores seeing a surge in recent months. According to convenience store chain CU, the sales of craft beer products surged by 390.8 percent from January to June on-year. In March, the sales portion of craft beer products outstripped other brands produced by large liquor makers with 50.3 percent. Another convenience store chain GS25 also said the sales of beer products manufactured by microbreweries jumped by 293

Foreigners who traveled to South Korea last year to consume K-pop goods and content were estimated to have spent $1,007 on average, according to a report Thursday. In its latest tourism industry analysis report, the state-run Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) estimated that some 1.11 million foreigners came to South Korea in 2019 to specifically consume goods and experiences related to "hallyu," a term referring to the global popularity of Korean pop culture, last year. On average, $

Diageo Korea said Wednesday that it has launched two new products, W 19 and W Honey, the first spirits in the local industry with just 32.5 percent alcohol by volume. The liquor maker said it had decided to lower the alcohol content of the new products to meet the rising demand for drinks that are less than full strength, as the drinking culture is rapidly changing here. Both drinks have the optimal strength for consumers in their 30s and 40s who value smoothness and new flavors, the compan

While the COVID-19 pandemic has depressed the performance of many businesses, the opposite is true for South Korean food company SPC Group, which has expanded its overseas business in recent months. In June, SPC Group -- owner of the country’s biggest bakery brand, Paris Baguette -- announced that it would launch the brand in Canada. It will be the seventh country the company has entered. The COVID-19 pandemic means it will take longer than usual to find partner firms and conduct market

South Korean food maker Nongshim said Monday its US sales totaled about $164 million in the first half of this year, the firm’s highest-ever figure in the country, led by sales of Shin Ramyun. The company attributed the notable sales in the US to the brand power of Shin Ramyun, its flagship noodle brand. The company also said the popularity was helped by increased demand for instant food products amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The South Korean company’s instant noodle products are g

Premium cosmetic brand Sulwhasoo has launched its products in India through local retailer Nykaa’s online e-commerce channel, its manufacturer Amorepacific said Monday. Following the launch on Monday, the company said it plans to make Sulwhasoo available at Nykaa Luxe stores in major cities across the country, including Delhi and Mumbai. With a population of nearly 1.4 billion and a growing middle class, the South Asian country’s cosmetics market is estimated to be worth $14.8 bill

Coupang, an e-commerce giant here, said Thursday it will deploy 2,400 safety inspectors in all of its Rocket Delivery Centers, to watch over the disinfection processes to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Coupang has been upping its prevention measures after it closed several distribution centers found with employees confirmed with COVID-19. According to Coupang, the inspectors will monitor its distribution centers to make sure that all orders made are prepared and delivered under the safety g