[Consumer This Week] CJ CheilJedang, Dr. Jart+, E-mart, Starbucks, Homeplus, Lotte

CJ CheilJedang launches fruit vinegar to flavor water

Korea’s leading food maker CJ CheilJedang has launched a new “water enhancer,” which consists of portable containers of concentrated liquid flavor designed to be mixed with plain water.

CJ’s “Petitzel Water POP” enhancer comes in three fruit vinegar flavors — green grape, lemon and mixed berries. CJ’s new product has a vinegar concentration that is eight times higher than conventional fruit vinegar.

One 60-ml bottle can produce up to 20 cups (100 ml each) of fruity beverages, including iced tea and drinks that resemble vitamin water, according to CJ. Users can control how much of the product they want to use per serving.

A bottle of Petitzel Water POP costs 3,500 won ($3) and can be purchased at Olive Young stores and convenience stores nationwide.

(jys@heraldcorp.com)

Dr. Jart+ enters Sephora stores in Middle East

Korean skin care cosmetics brand Dr. Jart+ on Tuesday said it has entered markets in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and Dubai through Sephora, a global beauty and cosmetics store chain owned by the LVMH Group.

Products by Dr. Jart+ are being sold in a total of 16 Sephora stores in the five countries. It now sells eight types of facial sheet masks. Next year, it will launch its skin care lineup at the stores, with plans to introduce more of its products in the years ahead.

Dr. Jart+ said it chose to expand into the Middle East given the fast-paced growth of the region’s beauty market. Sephora’s Dubai branch is the cosmetics retailer’s most profitable outlet in the world, it said.

“The Middle East is considered the ‘Next China’ for Korean cosmetics products, making it an untapped yet important market for Korean brands,” said a Dr. Jart+ official

(jys@heraldcorp.com)

Starbucks to sponsor lectures at Deoksugung Palace

Starbucks Coffee Korea on Thursday said it is sponsoring a series of evening lectures at the Deoksugung Palace in central Seoul every Wednesday until June 8 (excluding May 25).

The lectures, which are part of the palace’s annual nighttime cultural event, offers opportunities to learn about Korean history and culture as well as Korean traditional music and literature.

During the lectures, Starbucks will hand out free coffee to all attendees, as part of its partnership with the Korea’s Cultural Heritage Administration.

For more information, visit www.deoksugung.go.kr.

(jys@heraldcorp.com)

Homeplus opens Futsal field in Suwon branch

Korean discount supermarket chain Homeplus, in partnership with HM Sports, has opened a new futsal field on the top floor of its store in west Suwon.

The HM Futsal Park is 2,910 square meters and features 42 m by 22 m outdoor fields, which meet official futsal field standards, as well as two 33 m x 12 m indoor fields.

Homeplus’ new futsal park in west Suwon is the biggest of its kind ever built by the supermarket chain, which already operates a field each in two of its Incheon branches and one in Mok-dong.

The field is open to those seeking to enjoy a new sport, as well as youth futsal teams in Korea that often lack proper facilities for training, the company said.

(jys@heraldcorp.com)

Lotte introduces Coconut Pepero

Lotte Confectionary on Thursday said it has introduced “Coconut Pepero” as the latest addition to its best-selling chocolate-dipped cookie stick snack Pepero.

The new item has coconut pieces on the chocolate covering. The product was launched in line with the rising popularity of coconut and coconut-based products in Korea, Lotte said.

The blue packaging of the Coconut Pepero is meant to give off a “cool feel” ahead of the summer season, standing in contrast to the signature red packaging box of the original Pepero, the company said.

With the addition of the new flavor, Lotte aims to rack up more than 110 billion won ($94.4 million) in overall Pepero sales this year, it said.

(jys@heraldcorp.com)

By Sohn Ji-young