Lotte Mart First-Half Liquor Sales: Whisky Surpasses Wine

Whisky Sales Rise in First Half of This Year, Climbing to Second Place After Three Years
Wine, which held the No. 2 spot for Three Consecutive Years, Drops to Third

In large discount stores, whisky has surpassed wine to become the second-highest selling alcoholic beverage. This trend is attributed to the continued high inflation, which has led more consumers to choose whisky, as it can be enjoyed multiple times from a single bottle.

On July 3, Lotte Mart announced that, based on its analysis of liquor sales in the first half of this year, whisky overtook wine to rank second in sales. The sales ranking, which had been 'domestic beer–wine–whisky–soju–imported beer–traditional liquor' from 2023 through last year, changed to 'domestic beer–whisky–wine–soju–imported beer–traditional liquor' in the first half of this year.

Customers are browsing imported beers at Lotte Mart Zeta Plex Jamsil Branch located in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Provided by Lotte Mart.

In the first half of this year, whisky sales increased by 2.3% compared to the same period last year. Sales of blended whisky rose by 13.6%, and Japanese whisky sales grew by 12.6%. This is seen as a result of prolonged high inflation, with more consumers opting for whisky that can be enjoyed over multiple occasions. In contrast, wine sales decreased by 1.1%. However, non-alcoholic wine sales grew significantly, up 41.2%.

As health-conscious drinking culture spreads, sales of non-alcoholic and alcohol-free beverages are also on the rise. The share of non-alcoholic beverages in total liquor sales expanded from 6% in 2021 to 13% in the first half of this year. Non-alcoholic beverage sales increased by 23.7% in 2024 and by 11.4% last year, and rose by 25.4% in the first half of this year as well. Non-alcoholic beer showed double-digit growth rates for three consecutive years, increasing by 24.5% in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year.

With value-for-money consumption spreading, sales of imported beer and soju have also increased. Imported beer sales rose by 11.2% and soju by 2.2% compared to the same period last year. In particular, sales of low-alcohol fruit soju increased by 41.7%, driving the overall growth in soju sales.

Lotte Mart and Lotte Super are holding a year-to-date liquor discount event until July 15. Discounts are offered on around 30 popular whiskies, such as 'Balvenie 12 Years', 'Macallan 12 Years Double Cask', 'Suntory Kakubin', and 'Early Times'. Three varieties of 'Nikka From The Barrel' and 'Jack Daniel's' are available in limited quantities at up to 20% off with exclusive glass packages. The Japanese liqueur 'Sonomanma Mango and Melon', exclusive to Lotte Mart, will also be introduced. More than 30 types of non-alcoholic beverages are available at discounts of up to 50%.

Value-for-money products have also been prepared. 'Saeng Jipyeong Pyeongsaeng Makgeolli' and the sparkling beer 'Quart' are each being sold at 990 won. For 22 varieties of imported beer, customers can purchase four cans for 9,600 won or ten cans for 20,000 won. For eight types of fruit-flavored sparkling 'Soonhari', a 10% discount is offered when purchasing three cans. Sixty-five popular wines from the first half of the year are being sold at discounts of up to 30%.

Hoesung Jeong, Head of the Beverage and Liquor Team at Lotte Mart and Lotte Super, stated, "In the first half of this year, the trend toward value-oriented consumption centered on whisky and the popularization of non-alcoholic beverages was clear. At the same time, practical consumption trends were also evident in imported beer and soju." He added, "Lotte Mart will continue to introduce a diverse range of alcoholic beverages at reasonable prices, in line with changing consumer preferences."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.