SEOUL, Oct. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — October wine sales are expected to surpass imported beer as wine is winning back attention from consumers.
Convenience store chain Emart 24 reported that wine sales between Oct. 1-18 ranked fourth highest among liquor sales, surpassing bottled beer despite the Chuseok holiday season during which beer sales are usually higher.
“Wine sales are expected to grow over the remainder of this year, widening the sales gap with bottled beer,” Emart 24 said.
Other retailers are witnessing rising wine sales as well.
Lotte Mart, a discount store chain by Lotte Group, reported that wine sales between first and third quarters this year jumped by 71.4 percent compared to last year, and consumers bought wine more frequently.
An increasing number of new customers were found to be joining the wine market as well.
South Korea’s largest hypermarket chain Emart also reported that wine ranked 10th in overall sales between January and September for the first time, outpacing instant coffee and snacks.
Experts argue that increasing wine sales may be affected by the upcoming end-of-year gatherings, as well as promotions by various wine sellers to compete with cheaper wine.
Image Credit: Emart 24 / photonews@koreabizwire.com
