Generation 5060 of Company Dinners Also Turning into Solo Drinkers... Convenience Store Alcohol Purchase Growth Rates Rank 1st and 2nd

Analysis of Alcohol Purchase Trends Among Office Workers

Convenience Store Alcohol Sales Reach 313.7 Billion KRW
Up 10.9% from Previous Year
Friday Sales Increase by 25.5%
Liqueur and Whiskey Lead Premium Alcohol Trend

Office worker Yoon-sam Lee (50, pseudonym) enjoys ‘drinking alone’ every Friday. Until a few years ago, he used to attend company dinners every Friday evening, but after the COVID-19 pandemic, the culture of company dinners disappeared, and he chose to spend time alone. After feeling a bit lonely for a while, recently he has been stopping by a nearby convenience store after work to buy premium whiskey and has become deeply immersed in the fun of making snacks with his wife and enjoying them together. Lee said, "Until a few years ago, the perception was strong that ‘Friday evening = company dinner,’ but this culture seems to have almost disappeared after COVID-19," adding, "It’s nice to leave the noisy workplace and spend quiet time."

As the culture of company dinners at workplaces disappeared due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the landscape of the distribution industry has also changed significantly. Especially in the convenience store industry, alcohol sales have increased centered around Fridays, and reflecting consumers’ demand to enjoy high-quality alcohol even if drinking less, high-priced premium liquors have become the mainstream.

A customer is browsing to purchase whiskey at a large supermarket.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

According to the ‘Office Workers’ Alcohol Purchase Trend Analysis’ published by Macromill Embrain on the 1st, the amount spent by office workers on alcohol purchases at convenience stores in the first half of this year (January 1 to June 30) was 313.7 billion KRW, an increase of 10.9% compared to the same period last year. Looking at the changes in purchase amounts by day of the week, purchases increased on all days except Tuesday, with Friday showing the highest growth rate at 25.5%. By type of alcohol, high-priced liquors were popular. Liquor purchases increased by 489.2%, and whiskey also rose by 141.9%. However, beer and wine decreased by 5.6% and 6.4%, respectively, showing a decline in popularity.

Notably, the 60s age group showed the largest increase in convenience store alcohol purchases. Examining the increase and decrease in purchase amounts by age group, the 60s showed the most distinct upward trend with a 40.7% increase. This was followed by the 50s (30.8%), 30s (5.2%), and 40s (1.3%).

On the other hand, the 20s age group saw a 14.5% decrease in purchase amounts compared to the same period last year, showing negative growth. Last year, when social distancing measures had not been lifted, a culture of drinking alone by purchasing alcohol at convenience stores, centered on people in their 20s, emerged as a trend, and this is interpreted as a base effect reflecting that. An Embrain official said, "As company dinners decreased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the culture of drinking alone and drinking at home rapidly emerged, affecting the 50s and 60s generations as well," adding, "In addition, due to high inflation, more people are looking for relatively inexpensive convenience store alcohol."

Experts see visible changes mainly among middle-aged and older generations who are most familiar with pre-COVID-19 workplace culture. Professor Heo Kyung-ok of the Department of Consumer Studies at Sungshin Women’s University explained, "People in their 50s and 60s have worked in society for over 30 years and have deeply internalized the old-fashioned company dinner culture before COVID-19," adding, "They will be most affected by the changed workplace culture after COVID-19, and as they begin to adapt to the new culture, it is starting to appear in visible statistical figures."