Carbonates in South Korea

2020 IMPACT

Tough days for on-trade channels during pandemic, resulting in greater off-trade demand due to home consumption

The emergence of COVID-19 forced on-trade establishments to operate under strict new guidelines including social distancing measures which reduced footfall, as consumers grew increasingly cautious about visiting crowded public spaces due to fears over contracting the virus. This had a significant impact on demand for carbonates through this channel; fast food outlets for instance, one of the most popular on-trade locations for carbonates sales, experienced a significant drop in consumer visits as news about a cluster infection at a fast food franchise spread in the media.

E-commerce gains strong share during pandemic as consumers head online

Carbonates experienced increasing demand through e-commerce during the pandemic, as an increasing number of consumers shifted to placing online orders instead of visiting physical retailers due to concerns about exposure to the virus. This has resulted in stronger share gain for e-commerce while the dominant distribution channel of modern grocery retailers including hypermarkets and supermarkets experienced notable declines in 2020, although local neighbourhood outlets such as convenience stores fared better, due to their smaller size and location, allowing consumers to easily reach them for quick purchases.

Pricing strategies adopted by leading players Coca-Cola and Lotte Chilsung

Coca-Cola Korea Co Ltd strengthened its overall leadership of carbonates in 2020 due to its wide product portfolio, where it dominates cola carbonates with its Coca-Cola umbrella brand which includes low calorie variants such as Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Coca-Cola Light. 2019 had already seen the player launch a huge marketing campaign with popular K-Pop group BTS, where different photographs were printed on Coca-Cola’s aluminium can and bottle packaging, which appealed greatly to millennial consumers and has helped to strengthen its appeal amongst a younger generation.

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