"Zero is the Trend"... Market Kurly, Popularity of Non-Alcoholic Beverages

Heineken's non-alcoholic beverage.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] Retail tech company Kurly announced on the 21st that sales of non-alcoholic beverages have more than doubled this year, driven by the trend of preferring non-alcoholic options.

Non-alcoholic beverages are classified into completely alcohol-free products and non-alcohol products with less than 1% alcohol content, both commonly referred to as non-alcoholic. At Market Kurly, sales of non-alcoholic beverages from January to mid-September this year increased 2.3 times compared to the same period last year. The ‘Tsingtao’ non-alcoholic beer, which uses malt abundantly to create a deep flavor, and the refreshing ‘Heineken’ non-alcoholic beer were highly popular.

Sales of non-alcoholic products other than beer, such as sparkling drinks, wine, and cocktails, also nearly doubled during the same period. This is interpreted as an increase in people drinking according to their preferences, matching drinking cultures like home parties and drinking alone that focus more on enjoyment than intoxication. Accordingly, Market Kurly is expanding consumer choices by increasing unique products such as the ‘Florentina’ organic sparkling non-alcoholic beverage and the ‘Highball’ non-alcoholic drink.

The popularity of non-alcoholic beverages continues to grow. According to the Food Industry Statistical Information (FIS), the global non-alcoholic beverage market is expected to record an average annual growth rate of 23% until 2024. In particular, under domestic liquor tax law, completely alcohol-free and non-alcohol products are not classified as alcoholic beverages, allowing online purchases, which is also a factor increasing demand.

Kim Dongyoung, MD of Kurly’s Processing Team, said, “Non-alcoholic beverages are becoming increasingly popular as they can be comfortably enjoyed by both people who drink alcohol and those who do not,” adding, “Kurly plans to continuously strive for customer satisfaction by, for example, listing non-alcoholic wines made by wineries that actually produce wine, targeting the upcoming year-end season.”

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