Hite Jinro’s beers post rapid sales growth in Hong Kong

Hite Jinro expects its beer sales in Hong Kong to see a near sevenfold increase this year compared to 2012, according to the company Tuesday. 

Last year, Hite Jinro sold 320,000 boxes of beer, a 31 percent on-year increase. This year, that number is expected to rise to 410,000 boxes, almost seven times more than the 60,000 boxes sold in 2012, when Hite Jinro entered the Hong Kong market with stout beer. One box contains 20 500-milliliter bottles.

Hite Jinro currently sells various brands in Hong Kong including Dry D, Max and Hite. In September, it began exporting Filite, a low-alcohol beverage that became a hit in Korea for its low prices. However, Filite is priced similar to other beers in Hong Kong, staking its competitiveness on quality rather than pricing. 

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)