South Korea

Despite expectations that the endemic phase of the pandemic would herald a second year of dynamic revival for the on-trade, and a flourishing year for total volume sales of beer in 2023, beer in South Korea experienced stagnation, with declines seen…

Depilatories maintained solid current value growth for another consecutive year in South Korea in 2023, although the rate of increase slowed compared with the previous couple of years. Nevertheless, women’s razors and blades continued to see robust…

Deodorants maintained solid current value growth in South Korea in 2023. Deodorant sprays continued to dominate deodorants, and also outpaced deodorant roll-ons, sticks and wipes in terms of value growth in 2023. Consumers prefer deodorant sprays for…

Shoe polish is the largest category in polishes and faced a weaker performance in 2023 following the strong rebound in sales during 2022. Demand for shoe polish rebounded strongly in 2022, as professionals returning to offices opted for formal attire…

In South Korea, the alcoholic drinks industry has been rapidly evolving, witnessing a swift transition from imported beers to craft beers, then to wines, and subsequently to whiskies and highballs. The industry is now speculating about the next big…

Discounters remained only a small retail channel in South Korea in 2023, and continued to see a decline in outlet numbers in this year, although returned to slight current value growth. In South Korea, major retailers have embraced private label…

In 2023, overall retail current value sales of tobacco in South Korea showed a positive growth rate compared with the previous year, yet the growth rate was minimal, resulting in no significant difference in actual sales compared with 2022.

Gardening in South Korea witnessed a slight current value decline in 2023, although many categories maintained solid growth. For instance, gardening equipment experienced increasing sales, due to the rising popularity of gardening as a recreational…

Although supermarkets saw a second consecutive year of decline in outlet numbers in South Korea in 2023, current value sales maintained low growth. Positioned between convenience stores and hypermarkets, supermarkets leverage their smaller size for…

In 2023, bleach experienced another year of moderate volume and current value growth, driven by factors such as inflation and heightened awareness of hygiene and cleanliness in the post-pandemic era. Demand for disinfectant bleach remains steady in…