The 'Homsul' Trend Takes Hold... "Fewer Drinking Days but Increased Quantity"

Home Drinking Remains Popular... Impact of Business Restrictions and Remote Work
Drinking Frequency Decreases While Alcohol Consumption Increases
Imported Alcohol Sales Up 30% Due to Surge in 'Home Drinking' Population

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Seungyoon Song, Eunmo Koo] The 'home drinking' trend, which became popular due to the impact of staying at home during COVID-19, is expected to continue for some time.

According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation's ‘2021 Alcohol Market Trend Report,’ the average drinking frequency of Koreans was about 8.5 days per month, roughly twice a week. This survey was conducted on 2,000 adults aged 19 to 59 nationwide who drank alcohol at least once a month last year. This figure is slightly lower than the 9 days recorded in September 2020, early in the COVID-19 pandemic. It is interpreted as a result of reduced drinking occasions due to business restrictions and remote work after COVID-19. However, the average amount consumed per drinking session increased to 7 glasses per bottle of soju, compared to 6.7 glasses the previous year. While the drinking frequency slightly decreased compared to the previous year, the amount consumed actually increased.

In particular, the popularity of home drinking, which increased due to COVID-19, continues to persist. According to a survey of respondents last year on the types of drinking perceived as ‘popular alcohol trends,’ convenience store purchases and home drinking accounted for 76.5% and 51.5%, respectively, showing that home drinking-related alcohol consumption trends remain strong. Especially, the response that purchasing alcohol at convenience stores is a trend increased by 26.6 percentage points from 49.9% the previous year, indicating that convenience stores are emerging as new hubs for alcohol purchases. In line with this trend, convenience stores are also increasing specialized alcohol stores within their regions.

With the rapid increase of ‘home drinking’ enthusiasts enjoying alcohol at home, domestic imported alcohol also increased by nearly 30% last year. According to the Korea Customs Service import-export statistics, the import value of alcoholic beverages last year was $1.4083 billion (approximately 1.7084 trillion KRW), a 26.6% increase compared to $1.10687 billion the previous year. The import value of alcoholic beverages, which was around $857.1 million in 2016, surpassed the $1 billion mark in 2018 with $1.04368 billion, and last year exceeded $1.4 billion, increasing by nearly 50% over five years.

An industry official said, "Since COVID-19, with fewer company dinners and a continued reluctance to go out, the home drinking trend seems to have fully settled," adding, "The industry is also releasing new products focused on delicious drinks by developing various flavors across different types of alcohol to meet this trend."

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