"High Popularity of Korean Content in Russia"
"Even Expensive Items Sell Like Hotcakes" Including Dedicated Freezers
As the popularity of Korean culture, including K-pop and dramas, rises in Russia, sales of Korean ice cream are also rapidly increasing.
On the 19th (local time), the Russian daily Kommersant cited NielsenIQ data, reporting that retail sales of Korean ice cream (by value) increased by about 90% from July last year to July this year. This growth is remarkable compared to the overall ice cream sales in Russia, which rose by 27.3% during the same period.
A dedicated refrigerator for Korean ice cream in a supermarket in Moscow, Russia. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Korean ice cream is mainly sold through retail chains in Russia. In particular, some stores report that Korean ice cream accounts for one-third of all imported ice cream. Large supermarkets in Moscow even have dedicated freezers exclusively for Korean ice cream brands such as Melona, Screwbar, and Subakbar.
Alexey Popovichev, director of the Rusbrand Association, a Russian household goods industry group, said, "The overall popularity of Korean culture among young Russians, including movies, TV series, and K-pop, appears to have contributed to the increase in ice cream sales."
The Soyuzmoloko, a Russian dairy producers' association, analyzed the increase in Korean ice cream sales as being due to "the interest of consumers with above-average income in new products." The price of Korean ice cream sold in Russian retail stores ranges from 100 to 250 rubles (approximately 1,500 to 3,700 won), which is more expensive than Russian-made products.
Meanwhile, in June, the RIA Novosti news agency reported that in the first quarter of this year, Korean ice cream ranked second in the Russian imported ice cream market (1.2 million dollars), following Kazakhstan (2.3 million dollars). RIA Novosti also added that while countries like Italy and Belgium reduced their ice cream exports to Russia, the supply of Korean ice cream increased by 76%.
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