'Corona Direct Hit' Wine Sold Better Than Luxury Goods at Department Stores

Department Store Sales Hit Hard by COVID-19

Wine Sales Grow by Over 5%

More People Enjoying Wine at Home After Work

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] As the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has increased people's reluctance to go out, the number of 'home wine drinkers' enjoying wine at home is growing.

According to Shinsegae Department Store on the 9th, total department store sales from the 1st to the 25th of last month decreased by 15.8% compared to the same period last year. Sales of women's clothing and men's clothing also dropped by 37% and 22.7%, respectively. On the other hand, wine sales from the 11th to the 29th of last month increased by 5.2% compared to the same period last year, a figure higher than luxury goods sales (3.3%).

This is analyzed to be due to the government recommending avoiding crowded places as the cumulative number of confirmed cases exceeded 7,000, and many companies issuing guidelines for remote work and refraining from company dinners, leading more people to enjoy wine at home.

Choi Won-jun, head of food at Shinsegae Department Store, said, "Unlike other groceries, alcoholic beverages like wine cannot be purchased online, so customers who enjoy drinking at home are visiting department stores that offer a variety of types and price ranges." He added, "Shinsegae Department Store's Wine House allows customers who are not familiar with wine to easily purchase wines that suit them by receiving detailed explanations from store staff."

Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam branch is offering a variety of reasonably priced wines at the Wine House on the basement level 1 until the 15th. In particular, they are promoting '10 Sommelier-Recommended Wines That Pair Well with Home-Cooked Meals,' recommending wines that go well with Korean side dishes. In addition to wine recommendations, directly purchased wines are sold at prices ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 KRW with discounts of up to 40%, allowing customers to buy without burden. Representative products include 'Chateau Mont-Perat White,' which pairs well with chicken dishes like baeksuk, priced at 23,000 KRW, and 'Assa Crianza,' which matches spicy side dishes like stir-fried squid, priced at 25,000 KRW.

Other wines include 'Saint Clair Vicar's Choice Sauvignon Blanc Bubbles,' which pairs well with seafood stew and sashimi, and 'Finca El Origen Reserva Malbec,' which goes well with soy sauce braised side dishes, priced at 18,000 KRW and 13,000 KRW respectively.

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