Starbucks has regained its position as the top coffee brand based on estimated credit and debit card payments, five months after losing the title amid a marketing controversy. Following the launch of new products and the resumption of customer benefit programs, the company has seen a three-month consecutive increase in payment amounts.
According to data analysis firm IGAWorks, Starbucks' estimated credit and debit card payment amount for last month was 121.08 billion won, a 4.3% increase from the previous month’s 116.12 billion won. After dropping to 100.39 billion won in June, payments rose to 110.06 billion won in July, 116.12 billion won in August, and finally surpassed 120 billion won last month. Compared to June, this marks a 20.6% increase over three months.
In contrast, Twosome Place recorded 110.5 billion won last month, a 6.4% decrease from 117.99 billion won in August. As a result, Starbucks surpassed Twosome Place by approximately 10.6 billion won, reversing their rankings.
The payment gap between the two brands narrowed from 20.3 billion won in June to about 9.6 billion won in July and approximately 1.9 billion won in August. Twosome Place had maintained higher payment amounts than Starbucks for four consecutive months from May to August but lost its lead in September.
Other coffee brands experienced declines in payment amounts. Mega MGC Coffee saw a 3.2% decrease to 94.75 billion won last month, while Paik's Coffee dropped 6.4% to 22.94 billion won.
The recovery in Starbucks' payment amounts may be partly attributed to the normalization of its marketing activities. The company faced severe criticism after using the term 'Tank Day' to promote a tumbler discount event on May 18, the anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising. Following the backlash, Shinsegae Group dismissed the CEO of Starbucks Korea and implemented measures such as an official apology and employee history education. The launch of summer products and promotional events was also temporarily halted.
As a result of the controversy and a decline in consumer spending, SCK Company, which operates Starbucks, reported a second-quarter revenue of 747.3 billion won, a 6.1% decrease from the same period last year, with an operating loss of 18.4 billion won. Since July, Starbucks has gradually resumed new product launches and promotions to attract more customers.
However, it is important to note that these payment amounts are estimates based on credit and debit card data and do not include other payment methods such as prepaid cards and mobile gift certificates.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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