"Italian Sensibility at the Forefront... One of the World's Top 3 Sparkling Water Brands Targets Korean Market"

Sanpellegrino Opens Pop-Up in Itaewon, a First in Asia
High Potential in the Carbonated Beverage Market and Similar Food Cultures Noted
Use of Natural Italian Ingredients
Aiming for Single-Digit Sales Growth This Year

Sanpellegrino, the leading Italian sparkling water brand, has officially entered the domestic carbonated beverage market. Riding the wave of the 'Healthy Pleasure' trend and the rapid growth of the zero-sugar carbonated drink sector, the company is making an aggressive move by introducing Italian-inspired fruit-flavored sparkling beverages.

According to the food and beverage industry on August 3, Sanpellegrino recently launched its 'Italian Sparkling Drink (ISD)' in Korea and opened a pop-up experience space called 'Life is Juicier' at Process in Itaewon, Seoul. Among Asian countries, Korea is the first to kick off this campaign. Michelle Chua, Sanpellegrino Asia & Japan Brand and Digital Manager, stated, "Korea is an extremely important market for Sanpellegrino," and explained, "The Korean sparkling water market has great potential, and the recent zero-calorie craze has made us seriously consider introducing Sanpellegrino ISD Zero to Korea."

Michelle Chua, Sanpellegrino Asia & Japan Brand and Digital Manager, is being interviewed at Sanpellegrino's 'LIFE IS JUICIER' pop-up store held at Itaewon Process on the 31st. Photo by Hanyeju

ISD is a fruit-flavored sparkling beverage made by blending Sicilian citrus fruit juice with natural sparkling water, using only 100% natural ingredients and no artificial sweeteners. The lineup includes four varieties: Pompelmo (green grapefruit), Limonata (lemon), Aranciata (orange), and Aranciata Rossa (blood orange). Recently, a new flavor, Melograno & Arancia (pomegranate & orange), was added to the lineup and sales have begun.

Founded in 1899, Sanpellegrino is a leading Italian beverage company. It is recognized as one of the top three premium water brands alongside Evian and Perrier, and is distributed in over 150 countries through subsidiaries and distributors across five continents. It has been designated as the official drinking water by the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) and is known as the most preferred sparkling water among gourmets and Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide. In Korea as well, Sanpellegrino sparkling water is offered as a symbol of premium service in luxury hotels and high-end restaurants.

The reason Sanpellegrino is focusing on the Korean market is the rapid growth of the domestic carbonated beverage sector. Since the spread of the zero-sugar trend in 2021, the domestic carbonated beverage market has shown a high growth rate of over 14% year-on-year. From 2019 to 2023, the market maintained a steady average annual growth rate of 7.6% over five years. As of 2023, the market size reached 2.791 trillion won.

Manager Chua commented, "Culturally, both Italy and Korea value enjoying delicious food and drinks with friends, and the Italian headquarters also sees many opportunities for collaboration with Korea, which is why they are paying close attention." She added, "It took three months to prepare for this pop-up, and this event in Korea is the largest among all pop-ups held in Asia so far."

At the pop-up store, through collaboration with the premium dessert brand 'Patisserie Fruits,' fruit-shaped mousse cakes featuring four flavors of Sanpellegrino ISD are available, along with a new dessert inspired by Melograno & Arancia (pomegranate & orange), introduced for the first time this summer. Photo by Hanyeju

Sanpellegrino has set a goal to raise brand awareness in Korea by highlighting the Italian sensibility embodied in ISD. Manager Chua emphasized, "It is rare to find beverages in Korea that use Italian ingredients. 'ISD Limonata' uses lemons from Sicily, Italy; 'ISD Aranciata' uses oranges from southern Italy; and 'ISD Pompelmo' uses green grapefruits from the Mediterranean region. All products are made only with natural fruits and ingredients." She added, "Through these products infused with Italian sensibility, we hope to share not only the unique Italian flavors but also the Italian way of life and sense of leisure with consumers."

Sanpellegrino aims to achieve single-digit year-on-year sales growth in the Korean market every year. Manager Chua said, "We cannot disclose specific sales targets, but we aim for a 'single digit' (1-9%) growth rate," and added, "We believe we can achieve up to 10% growth."