South Korea

In 2023, air care witnessed moderate single-digit growth in current value terms, due to the shifting perspective of air care as a component of self-care, particularly among the younger generations. This signifies a departure from viewing air care…

Air treatment products in South Korea is exhibiting a mixed performance. Cooling appliances are mostly experiencing positive demand due to global warming and exceedingly hot summers in the country, whereas air purifiers and humidifiers are…

Air Premier is an airline which initially launched in 2017. Unlike full service and low cost carriers, Air Premier is positioned as a "hybrid airline". Full service carriers are known to offer various airfares, but tend to be perceived as premium,…

In 2022, most alcoholic drinks categories in South Korea experienced positive performances, mainly driven by the healthy growth of on-trade sales. As observed in the global industry, consumers resumed their habit of visiting restaurants and bars as…

From 2022, alcoholic drinks companies in South Korea were required to post nutritional information, including calorie content, on the labels of their products in accordance with legislation introduced by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. As a…

Despite the overall waning impact of the pandemic in South Korea, simultaneous new outbreaks of COVID-19, influenza, and the common cold (referred to as a “tripledemic” in the country) are leading to a sharp increase in the number of consumers…

As local consumers continue to purchase apparel in 2023, sales of fashionable accessories such as belts, scarves, hats/caps and ties are also increasing. Therefore, these types of accessories continue to post positive retail volume and current value…

Apparel and footwear is posting positive but slower current value and retail volume growth in 2023 compared to the previous year, as many consumers’ needs/wants for new apparel and footwear have been largely fulfilled following the lifting of social…

Outlet numbers in apparel and footwear specialists in South Korea remained fairly static in 2023, after several years of decline. Meanwhile, although sales failed to return to anywhere near the pre-pandemic level in current value terms, they…

Appliances and electronics specialists maintained its long-standing decline in outlet numbers in South Korea in 2023, and although it returned to growth in current value terms, this only made a small dent in the losses experienced since 2019. The…

Sales of Asian speciality drinks in South Korea continue to grow in 2022 as consumers look for perceived healthier drink options. In addition to the longer-term pursuit of healthier lifestyles, the pandemic encouraged local consumers to seek clear…

In the wake of inflationary pressures, there has been a surprising reluctance amongst individuals to engage in activities outside the home, including dining out, which contributed to lower than expected growth in consumer foodservice in 2023. This…

Despite the low birth rate in South Korea, current value growth was maintained in baby and child-specific products in 2023. Parents are becoming increasingly savvy in terms of purchasing products that suit their children, regardless of whether they…

Baby food is set to continue to exhibit growth in retail current value terms in South Korea in 2023, with some variations observed at the category level. This increase in value sales can be attributed to inflation-induced p rice rises, as when…

Total baby food packaging volumes saw dynamic growth in 2022, after already seeing growth in the previous two years. Increases were seen across most pack types, and most categories, with dried baby food the notable exception. Although liquid milk…

In early 2023, as the South Korean government fully lifted COVID-19-related restrictions and entered the endemic era, international travel fully reopened. As consumer spending has largely shifted to international travel, the growth of bags,…

Heightened consumer interest in health continues to be a prominent trend following the pandemic in South Korea. It has played a pivotal role in shaping the current baking trend of reducing sugar and oil content, while emphasising natural fermentation…

Bath and shower maintained solid current value growth in South Korea in 2023, although the rate of increase slowed compared with the peak seen over 2020-2022. Clean beauty, which emphasises gentle and natural ingredients, is highly favoured by…

Beauty and personal care maintained solid current value growth in South Korea in 2023. Mass beauty and personal care outpaced the growth rate of premium beauty and personal care in this year, although both saw growth. The upward standardisation of…

South Korea relaxed the bulk of its COVID-19 restrictions in April-May 2022, triggering a return to pre-pandemic out-of-home lifestyles. This, in turn, helped drive volume sales in beauty and personal care categories that consumers use when going…

Off-trade volume sales of beer in South Korea marginally declined in 2022 as demand for imported lager, which had been driving the growth of the country’s beer consumption at home, was sluggish. Although popular brands such as Budweiser continued to…

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…

Two key players in South Korea's online travel agencies are Yeogi Eottae and Yanolja, which both began as OTAs focused on lodging in the country. However, they are continuously expanding their businesses beyond this sector to include different travel…

Demand for bottled water in South Korea is set to continue to rise in volume terms both off-trade and on-trade in 2023. Throughout the pandemic, buying bottled water for home consumption became a habit. Consumers who had previously purchased bottled…

While retail volume sales of both children's breakfast cereals and family breakfast cereals continue to decline in 2023 due to greater mobility following the easing of restrictions in South Korea, demand remains above pre-pandemic levels. Players in…

The Busan in South Korea report provides comprehensive city level information benchmarked against other cities in the country and region. The report includes historic data and forecasts on city population, consumer expenditure, digital penetration,…

South Korea’s business environment remains attractive to foreign investors, due to its efficient government regulation and world-class infrastructure, as well as its high capacity for innovation and ICT adoption, which continues to improve on the…

In 2023, overall butter and spreads in South Korea is expected to continue to show positive growth in retail current value terms, although the growth rates vary across different categories. While inflation has contributed to the overall sales…

Specialist coffee and tea shops is a mature category in South Korea, but continued to show dynamic growth in 2023. Previously, players in specialist coffee shops changed high unit prices, but advances in coffee machines led to standardisation of…

Overall carbonates is set to see dynamic off-trade volume growth in 2023. However, concerns about the dangers of the overconsumption of sugar are driving consumers towards healthier variants. Increasing numbers of consumers are concerned about the…