HiteJinro 'Jjeonru' Surpasses 1 Million Boxes in China Exports This Year

Chamisul Poster in China

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] HiteJinro's Chamisul and fruit liqueurs are continuing their popularity in the Chinese market under the brand name 'Jjeonru' (the Chinese pronunciation of Jinro).

HiteJinro announced on the 7th that the export volume of soju products (including Chamisul and fruit liqueurs such as Green Grape Eisl) to the Chinese market this year has surpassed 1 million boxes (based on 30 bottles per box). This is the second time since 1994, when sales in a single country exceeded 1 million boxes in a year, following Japan.

Sales of HiteJinro's soju products in the Chinese market have steadily grown at an average annual rate of 41% since 2018, with 878,000 boxes sold last year, an increase of about 56% compared to the previous year. In particular, fruit liqueurs have grown rapidly, increasing by 103% annually until last year. The share of fruit liqueurs among soju products also expanded from 14% in 2017 to 60% this year.

HiteJinro analyzed brand localization as a key factor for popularity. According to internal data, 74% of the purchase channels for HiteJinro's soju products are counted as local Chinese sales channels, indicating a shift from sales mainly to Korean expatriates to local sales. Since declaring the globalization of soju in 2016, HiteJinro has continuously strengthened sales in major home channels and online channels, making 'Jjeonru' easily available in most discount stores, convenience stores, and major online platforms.

As sales to locals increase, recently on Chinese social networking services (SNS), 'Jjeonrutong' has become a hot topic among young consumers. Jjeonrutong is a method of making alcoholic beverages by mixing Jjeonru with drinks and fruits such as 'Strawberry Eisl.'

Hwang Jeong-ho, Executive Director of HiteJinro's Overseas Business Division, stated, “Jjeonru is leading the alcohol trends among young and female consumers,” and added, “We will continue rapid growth with strategies tailored to Chinese consumer trends.”

Meanwhile, HiteJinro is focusing its overseas sales activities on exporting its flagship product Chamisul to over 80 countries, as well as promoting fruit liqueurs as strategic export products. Currently, fruit liqueurs are exported to more than 50 countries. Starting with Grapefruit Eisl and Green Grape Eisl in 2016, followed by Plum Eisl in 2018 and Strawberry Eisl in 2019, the company has been expanding its export portfolio.

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