South Korea: Beer sales drop steeply

Beer sales in South Korea showed a big drop in the first four months of the year, owing to a change in consumer lifestyles and the nation's prolonged economic slump, Asia Pulse said May 28.

A total of 55.74 million boxes of beer were sold in the January-April period, down 7.27 percent from a year earlier. Each box contains 20 500-milliliter bottles.

Beer sales had increased continuously since 2000, when the sales increased 11.29 percent from the year prior. The sales gained 8.04 percent and 2.42 percent, respectively, in 2001 and 2002, according to the Korea Alcohol & Liquor Industry Association.

However, a downturn began in 2003, when sales decreased 3.66 percent. Last year, sales dropped 4.26 percent, according to the association.

"The reason behind the decrease is that more people are consuming less alcohol due to health reasons, along with economic stagnation and social polarization," the industry source said.

"Also, with the implementation of a five-day workweek, the trend has turned toward consuming less alcohol," the source added.

Amid the decrease, industry leader Hite Co. reported a 62.27 percent market share in the reported period, its first market share over 60 percent since its founding in 1993.

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