"The Ultimate Loyalty at Drinking Gatherings! CU Exclusively Sells 'Kim Boseong Uirinam Soju'"

A model is showcasing Kim Bo-sung Eirinam Soju released by CU.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] CU is expanding its premium soju lineup in response to the diversification trend in drinking.

CU announced on the 25th that it will launch Kim Boseong Uirinam Soju and Rabbit Soju Black and White as the number of drinking enthusiasts who want to try various alcoholic beverages continues to increase. Pre-sales have started mainly in Seoul and the metropolitan area, with plans to consider nationwide operations later.

Kim Boseong Uirinam Soju, exclusively sold at CU, is a product modeled after actor Kim Boseong, well known as the "Man of Loyalty," with the concept of a drinking occasion that strengthens relationships. It comes in a 360ml bottle with an alcohol content of 16.5% and is priced at 4,500 won.

Made using 100% domestically produced rice as the raw material, it is produced by vacuum distillation at low temperature and pressure. Compared to atmospheric distillation using high temperatures, it has less off-flavor, a subtle grain aroma, and a smooth and clean aftertaste.

In addition, CU has expanded the purchase points of Rabbit Soju, which was sold via mobile reservation at Pocket CU earlier this year, to offline stores, and strengthened its premium soju lineup by exclusively selling the Ilpoom Jinro special package product in the industry. CU explained, "This is because the home drinking culture has become widespread due to COVID-19, leading to an expansion of customer demand for various types of alcoholic beverages."

Last month, CU's sales growth rate of premium soju compared to the previous year was 75.1%, surpassing the 8.1% growth rate of regular soju.

The popularity of premium soju is led by the trend-sensitive MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z). In fact, looking at CU's sales composition by age group, those in their 20s account for 32.2%, those in their 30s 30.6%, making up more than 60% in total, followed by 18.1% in their 40s, 11.5% in their 50s, and 5.6% aged 60 and above.

Lee Seungtaek, MD of the Beverage Food Team at BGF Retail, said, "These days, the convenience store soju market continues efforts to provide consumers with new fun and experiences by adding unique stories and brands to products, similar to craft beer," and added, "CU will actively introduce unique new products each season across all liquor categories to maintain its reputation as a convenience store liquor hotspot."

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