Sapporo Beer Tops Imported Beer Brand Growth Rankings Last Year

No. 3 in Imported Beer Market Share

Sapporo Beer, a premium brand with 150 years of tradition, recorded the highest growth rate among imported beer brands last year.

According to global market research firm NielsenIQ (NIQ) on the 23rd, Sapporo Beer ranked third in market share among imported beer brands in Korea, following Asahi and Heineken. It was also the brand whose market share grew the most year-on-year.

Sapporo Beer expanded its market share by 3 percentage points compared with 2024, achieving the highest growth rate among imported beer brands. In particular, in December last year its market share reached 10%, surpassing Heineken to take second place, demonstrating steep growth. Import volume also rose in tandem. Since 2021, its annual import volume has increased by about 190% on average.

Marking the 150th anniversary of the brand’s launch this year, Sapporo Beer is regarded as a well-balanced beer with a harmonious flavor and a clean finish from the first sip to the last. "Sapporo Draft Beer 70," introduced in June last year, is the first beer in Japan developed to reduce carbohydrates and purines in beer, and it was launched after more than 300 tests over about seven years. When this product was released twice in limited quantities in Korea in 2024, it sold out early both times, drawing an enthusiastic response. Even after its official launch, it leveraged its scarcity as a limited-quantity product and its distinctive positioning as a reduced-content beer to temporarily sell out within two months.

To provide a differentiated consumer experience, Sapporo Beer also opened "Sapporo Premium Beer Stand," its first overseas brand shop, in Seongsu-dong. Sapporo Premium Beer Stand has become a hot place in Seongsu-dong, as it offers consumers "a perfect glass of beer" through strict quality control, in line with Sapporo Beer’s brand philosophy, while allowing them to enjoy the standing-bar culture at the same time.