Import beers whose prices are lower than 2,000 won (US$1.93) accounted for only 13.3 percent of all canned beer sales in 2010. But the share increased to 35.0 percent this year.(image:Ruth Hartnup /flickr)
SEOUL, Aug. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — According to a study by Lotte Mart based on five-year sales records on canned beers, the sales of high-priced domestically brewed beers have increased by a large margin. In addition, the study found that both high- and low-priced import beers have sold well at the expense of medium-priced beer brands.
For example, import beers whose prices are lower than 2,000 won (US$1.93) accounted for only 13.3 percent of all canned beer sales in 2010. But the share increased to 35.0 percent this year. During the same period, the ratio of import beers with prices over 3,000 won ($2.89) rose to 44.3 percent from 26.0 percent.
Meanwhile, the market share of upscale domestic beer brands priced over 1,500 won ($1.45) almost doubled to 12.3 percent from 6.8 percent in 2010. That’s largely because of the launch of new premium domestic beer brands such as Kloud, Aleston, and Queen’s Ale in efforts to compete head-on with import brands.
In addition, the previously common 355-milliliter can will be gradually replaced by a longer 500-ml can. The share of 500-ml import beers was less than 20 percent by 2010 but it shot up to 65.2 percent this year. As for domestic beers, the share rose to 11.3 percent from 5.3 percent.
Just ahead of the summer vacation season during which beer sales are expected to rise fast, Lotte Mart has introduced four different beer brands including three low-priced import beers and the 1,000-won L-Beer.
In addition, it will begin selling new types of beer such as Barley Gold and Karpackie Pils from Poland at the price of 1,500 won per can until the end of August. It will also sell the Feldschlosschen Hefeweizen beer from Germany at the price of 1,500 won.
By Sean Chung (schung10@koreabizwire.com)
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