South Korea: German beers account for the largest share in Korea’s rising beer import

Import beers are rising in popularity in Korea, with their share in discount stores’ overall beer sales surging to over 30 percent for the first time in history, Korea IT Times reported on January 30.

According to Lotte Mart on January 29, the share of import beers in its overall beer sales rose to 30 percent last year from 25.4 percent in 2013, 19.5 percent in 2012, 16.7 percent in 2011, and 13.3 percent in 2010.

Major retailers, encouraged by the rising popularity of import beers, introduced a wider range of import beers, which, in turn, expanded customer access to import beers.

German beers accounted for the largest share of 30.9 percent in Korea’s beer imports last year, followed by those from Japan with 22 percent, the Netherlands with 11.5 percent, Belgium with 6.6 percent, and the United States with 6.1 percent.

German beers overtook Japanese ones last year, first in history. Until 2013, Japanese beers had enjoyed the position as the best-selling import beers in Korea.

30 January, 2015