South Korea

In 2023, sports footwear continues to post healthy sales growth, as South Korea enters an endemic era where all social restrictions, including the mask mandate, have been fully lifted and consumers have returned to normal outdoor activities. As…

Asia Pacific remained the largest global producer of food, beverages and tobacco in 2021, with sales valued at USD3,809 billion. With the release of pent-up demand, the industry’s turnover witnessed an increase in 2021. Going forward, expanding…

Retail volume sales of food preparation appliances are declining for a second consecutive year in 2023. This is a trend evident across the category, with juice extractors experiencing the steepest decline. This is being driven by several factors, but…

Value sales of fine wines/champagne and spirits grew by 8% to total KRW657.4 billion in 2023, boosted by consumers’ appetite for experiences and enjoyment after the pandemic. Enjoying a drink with a meal at home or when relaxing remains a key pastime…

The landscape of card transactions in South Korea is undergoing a remarkable transformation marked by a gradual decline in cash usage. This paradigm shift is primarily driven by the widespread adoption of mobile financial services, a trend that has…

In 2024, overall eyewear in South Korea is set to see current value growth. The prevalence of vision impairments is on the rise in Korea, with an increasing number of people affected by presbyopia, myopia, and hyperopia. The overall increase in…

Demand for standard eye care, the largest category in overall OTC eye care in South Korea, continues to improve in 2023, in line with heightened exposure to digital screens in everyday life, and a return to out-of-home activities, including the…

Consumer demand has been shifting from manufactured goods back towards services. Due to this, value sales of experiential luxury grew by 13% to amount to KRW642 million in 2023, boosted by wealthier individuals resuming their normal activities,…

In its second edition, the EV Readiness Index 2023 indicates the best prepared markets for the electric vehicle (EV) transition. This follows growing EV take-up, with new electric passenger car registrations set to reach 20% of total registrations…

Energy drinks is set to see dynamic double-digit off-trade and on-trade volume growth in 2023. On-trade sales were hit hard by the pandemic, and despite strong growth, sales are not expected to return to the 2019 level in 2023. However, the off-trade…