South Korea

Chocolate confectionery in South Korea is expected to see low retail current value growth in 2024, along with marginal retail volume decline. Mixed developments are being seen in 2024, influenced by broader market trends and changing consumer…

In 2022, the total fertility rate in South Korea reached a new low of 0.78, with the number of newborns also dropping below 250,000 for the first time. The ongoing decline of new births in the country is resulting in falling retail volume sales for…

In 2023, cheese in South Korea is expected to continue to thrive in retail current value terms, building on the positive growth observed in the previous year. However, a notable opposite trend has emerged in volume terms, as all cheese categories…

Cat food is expected to maintain strong growth in South Korea in 2024, with a high single-digit current value increase, continuing the trend observed in 2023. However, the increases in these two years were lower than the steady double-digit growth…

Overall carbonates is set to see dynamic off-trade volume growth in 2023. However, concerns about the dangers of the overconsumption of sugar are driving consumers towards healthier variants. Increasing numbers of consumers are concerned about the…

Specialist coffee and tea shops is a mature category in South Korea, but continued to show dynamic growth in 2023. Previously, players in specialist coffee shops changed high unit prices, but advances in coffee machines led to standardisation of…

In 2023, overall butter and spreads in South Korea is expected to continue to show positive growth in retail current value terms, although the growth rates vary across different categories. While inflation has contributed to the overall sales…

While retail volume sales of both children's breakfast cereals and family breakfast cereals continue to decline in 2023 due to greater mobility following the easing of restrictions in South Korea, demand remains above pre-pandemic levels. Players in…

Demand for bottled water in South Korea is set to continue to rise in volume terms both off-trade and on-trade in 2023. Throughout the pandemic, buying bottled water for home consumption became a habit. Consumers who had previously purchased bottled…

Two key players in South Korea's online travel agencies are Yeogi Eottae and Yanolja, which both began as OTAs focused on lodging in the country. However, they are continuously expanding their businesses beyond this sector to include different travel…

In 2023, bleach experienced another year of moderate volume and current value growth, driven by factors such as inflation and heightened awareness of hygiene and cleanliness in the post-pandemic era. Demand for disinfectant bleach remains steady in…

Despite expectations that the endemic phase of the pandemic would herald a second year of dynamic revival for the on-trade, and a flourishing year for total volume sales of beer in 2023, beer in South Korea experienced stagnation, with declines seen…

South Korea relaxed the bulk of its COVID-19 restrictions in April-May 2022, triggering a return to pre-pandemic out-of-home lifestyles. This, in turn, helped drive volume sales in beauty and personal care categories that consumers use when going…

Beauty and personal care maintained solid current value growth in South Korea in 2023. Mass beauty and personal care outpaced the growth rate of premium beauty and personal care in this year, although both saw growth. The upward standardisation of…

Bath and shower maintained solid current value growth in South Korea in 2023, although the rate of increase slowed compared with the peak seen over 2020-2022. Clean beauty, which emphasises gentle and natural ingredients, is highly favoured by…

Heightened consumer interest in health continues to be a prominent trend following the pandemic in South Korea. It has played a pivotal role in shaping the current baking trend of reducing sugar and oil content, while emphasising natural fermentation…

In early 2023, as the South Korean government fully lifted COVID-19-related restrictions and entered the endemic era, international travel fully reopened. As consumer spending has largely shifted to international travel, the growth of bags,…

Total baby food packaging volumes continued to rise in South Korea in 2023. In this year, plastic pouches experienced growth in packaging volumes in baby food, as these offer exceptional convenience for parents, providing a lightweight, portable, and…

Baby food is set to continue to exhibit growth in retail current value terms in South Korea in 2023, with some variations observed at the category level. This increase in value sales can be attributed to inflation-induced p rice rises, as when…

Despite the low birth rate in South Korea, current value growth was maintained in baby and child-specific products in 2023. Parents are becoming increasingly savvy in terms of purchasing products that suit their children, regardless of whether they…