SEOUL, May 22 (Korea Bizwire) — The exotic flavor and exclusivity of traditional Korean liquor have played a crucial role in attracting younger individuals, commonly referred to as Generation MZ.
According to industry sources, the sales of traditional liquor at South Korean discount store Lotte Mart Co. experienced a 15 percent increase between January and April of this year.
In recent years, the industry has witnessed double-digit sales growth, with a rise of 23.2 percent in 2020, 36.9 percent in 2021, and 16.7 percent in 2022.
Traditional liquor is also highly popular in convenience stores.
Since 2020, convenience store franchise chain CU has consistently achieved double-digit increases in annual sales of traditional Korean liquor.
Last week, CU’s dedicated commerce app released a high-end handcrafted cheongju, a refined rice wine.
Despite its steep price of 47,000 won (US$35.72), all 120 bottles sold out in under an hour.
Among all traditional liquor sales, consumers in their 20s to 40s accounted for 54.1 percent, based on age categorization.
Image Credit: Daegu Department Store Co. / Yonhap / CU / photonews@koreabizwire.com
