Lotte Mart reported that Yangju has overtaken wine to claim the second spot in alcohol sales for the first half of the year.
As of July 5, Lotte Mart indicated that Yangju sales increased by 2.3% compared to the same period last year. The growth was driven by a 13.6% rise in blended whiskey sales, while Japanese whiskey sales also saw a 12.6% increase. Consequently, wine, which held the second position for three consecutive years from 2021 to 2023, has dropped to third place. Domestic beer maintained its top position, followed by soju in fourth, imported beer in fifth, and traditional liquor in sixth. Wine sales decreased by 1.1% during the same period. Analysts suggest that whiskey's appeal lies in its versatility for consumption, catering to budget-conscious consumers amid rising prices and the growing trend of home drinking.
Non-alcoholic and alcohol-free beverages are also experiencing rapid growth. The share of non-alcoholic beverage sales compared to total alcohol sales expanded from 6% in 2021 to 13% in the first half of this year, a 7-percentage point increase. The sales growth rate for non-alcoholic beverages was 25.4% in the first half of this year, following increases of 23.7% in 2024 and 11.4% in 2025. Non-alcoholic beer and wine sales rose by 24.5% and 41.2%, respectively.
Sales of imported beer and soju also grew. Imported beer sales increased by 11.2% year-on-year, while soju sales rose by 2.2%.
Lotte Mart and its supermarkets will hold a discount event for alcohol sales until July 15, featuring discounts on over 30 popular Yangju varieties, 30 non-alcoholic beverages, and 65 types of wine, with some makgeolli and sparkling drinks priced at 990 won.
Jung Hoeseong, head of the beverage and alcohol team at Lotte Mart and Super, stated, "The trends of value consumption centered around whiskey and the popularization of non-alcoholic beverages are evident, and there is also a trend towards practical consumption in imported beer and soju. We will introduce a variety of reasonably priced alcohol products to align with changing consumer preferences."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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