CU, Japanese Beer Sales Up 291.7%
Convenience Stores Flooded with Pre-Order Inquiries
Large Marts See Many Box-Unit Purchases
"Does anyone know where to buy Asahi Super Dry draft beer?"
Recently, as the No Japan movement has cooled down, sales of Japanese beer have significantly increased. In particular, Asahi Super Dry draft beer, which can be opened and drunk with the cap on, has caused a sold-out frenzy since its domestic launch.
According to CU on the 4th, sales of Japanese beer from January 1 to June 2 this year increased by 291.7% compared to the previous year. During the same period, GS25 saw a 328.2% increase, Seven Eleven 300%, and Emart24 247%. Japanese beer was hard to find in convenience stores for a while due to the boycott movement, but currently CU carries 20 varieties, GS25 10 varieties, Seven Eleven 6 varieties, and Emart24 16 varieties. Among imported beers, Asahi Super Dry draft beer ranks first in each store. It sells out immediately upon arrival, and inquiries for pre-orders are flooding in.
The situation is similar in large supermarkets. At Lotte Mart, sales of Japanese beer rose 30% compared to last year, and at Homeplus, they increased by 40%. A representative from a large supermarket said, "Asahi Super Dry draft beer sells out as soon as it is displayed in the store. Many customers buy by the box, and inquiries about when the product will be restocked continue."
Asahi Super Dry draft beer was first launched in Japan in April 2021. Unlike other beers, it is designed to open the entire cap, producing rich foam that gives it the taste of draft beer. Because it allows people to enjoy draft beer flavor at home, there was a shortage of supply even in Japan after its release. Lotte Asahi Liquor imports the 340ml product in limited quantities and plans to release a Korea-exclusive design product in the summer.
Asahi had maintained the number one spot in convenience store imported beer sales but was hit hard by the boycott movement in 2019. At that time, it was excluded from convenience store discount promotions, and orders plummeted, causing sales to fall sharply. In fact, Lotte Asahi Liquor’s sales dropped from 124.8 billion KRW in 2018 to 17.2 billion KRW last year, a decrease of 86.2%. Operating profit turned negative from 2019. Last year, sales rose 87.2% to 32.2 billion KRW, and operating profit returned to a positive 3.5 billion KRW. According to Korea Customs Service import-export trade statistics, the import value of Japanese beer was 39.76 million USD in 2019, 5.67 million USD in 2020, 6.88 million USD in 2021, 14.48 million USD last year, and 6.63 million USD from January to March this year.
An industry insider said, "Sales of Japanese beer are rising again. Asahi Super Dry draft beer is popular because, unlike other canned beers, its specially treated can surface produces soft foam like draft beer when opened."
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