In the Second Year of COVID-19, Large Supermarkets Sold More 'Wine and Hanwoo'

Emart, Sales Ranking Analysis Since COVID-19 Outbreak
Pork Tops for 3 Consecutive Years... Meal Kits and Whiskey Popularity Soars

On October 15th, citizens were looking at wine at the Emart Yongsan branch in Seoul. With the popularization of wine leading to increased demand, Emart's wine sales from January to September this year rose by 37.6% compared to the same period last year, accounting for 29.7% of total liquor sales. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] This year, the key consumption keywords in large supermarkets have been analyzed as 'wine' and 'Hanwoo' (Korean beef).

On the 19th, Emart analyzed sales from January to November from 2019 to this year and found that wine, which ranked 10th in overall sales over the past two years, jumped to 6th place this year with a 32% increase in sales.

This is attributed to consumers who sought ultra-low-priced wines under 10,000 KRW or cost-effective wines priced between 10,000 and 20,000 KRW during the early spread of COVID-19 last year gradually increasing their purchase price range as they entered the second year of the pandemic. As consumers' tastes diversified, not only popular red wines but also white wines and sparkling wines were sold evenly, and the countries importing wine expanded from Chile to the United States, France, and Italy, according to Emart.

Sales of refrigerated Hanwoo increased by 15.8% this year, rising from 9th place last year to 7th place this year. This is believed to be due to increased demand for Hanwoo consumed at home, which was mainly eaten at restaurants before, as the COVID-19 situation prolonged. Traditional preferred cuts such as sirloin (42.2%) and tenderloin (25.3%), often sought for steaks, showed high sales growth rates, and sales of brisket (47.2%) and front leg (28.1%) for soup also increased.

On the other hand, washing appliances such as washing machines, dryers, and clothing care appliances, as well as TVs, which saw increased sales last year due to extended 'stay-at-home' time, dropped 2 to 3 ranks this year due to the base effect, falling to 9th and 10th place respectively.

The top sales position was held by refrigerated pork. Pork sales increased by 12.5% last year and rose by 8.2% this year, maintaining the number one spot for three consecutive years since 2019. Sales ranked 2nd to 5th were beer, ramen, coffee, and milk, with no changes for three consecutive years.

Meanwhile, new trends rapidly spreading after COVID-19 have also caused some trend items to surge in sales rankings. With increased outdoor activities such as golf and camping, camping gear sales ranking rose from 307th in 2019 to 171st this year. Golf equipment sales ranking also rose from 235th in 2019 to 118th this year. Meal kits saw a 176% increase in sales this year, jumping from 337th in 2019 to 29th this year.

In alcoholic beverages, whiskey sales increased at a rapid pace along with wine. Whiskey sales rose by 72.6% this year, and its overall ranking climbed from 198th in 2019 to 141st last year and 73rd this year. Typically, whiskey is a product with high prices and high alcohol content, so sales changes are usually not significant, but whiskey mixed drinks called 'highballs' have gained popularity among the MZ generation (those born between 1980 and 2000), with over 400,000 hashtags on Instagram, leading to a sharp increase in sales this year.

Choi Hoon-hak, Emart's marketing manager, said, "This year’s consumption keywords appear to be wine and Hanwoo," adding, "The prolonged COVID-19 situation also highlighted sales growth in outdoor sports equipment, meal kits, and whiskey."

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