According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp., grapes are particularly popular this year. (image: Gyeongsangbuk-do Agricultural Research & Extension Service)
SEOUL, Dec. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — This winter, demand for imported fruits is increasing as domestic fruit produced in the winter is limited to produce such as tangerines and strawberries.
According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp., grapes are particularly popular this year.
Grape imports stalled in 2016 after reaching a peak in 2015. However, imports of grapes reached 68,749 tons as of November this year, surpassing the total from last year.
This shift can also be seen in the retail market. According to statistics provided by the online shopping mall G9, sales of imported fruits have more than doubled, with an increase of 143 percent compared to last year.
G9 explained that the increase was likely due to the limited variety of domestically produced fruit during the winter, and easier access to imported fruits.
Grapes have been the most popular fruit among imported tropical fruits, with sales more than five times higher than the same period last year.
G9 explained that grapes with a high sugar content, such as green grapes, can be eaten without peeling off the skin, and these merits are being advertised via word of mouth through SNS and online.
Other imported fruits such as cherries, pomegranates, kiwis, bananas have also become more popular.
G9 is trying to meet consumer demand by quickly introducing a variety of products as consumers who have become accustomed to tropical fruits on their overseas trips or on their SNS accounts are seeking these types of fruits in the middle of the winter.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
