Heated 'Lowest Beer Price' Competition... "Strengthening Value-for-Money Marketing"

Beer Brands, Ongoing Discounts Plus Additional Promotions

The discount promotion battle in the beer market is heating up. Major beer brands such as OB Beer’s ‘Cass’ and HiteJinro’s ‘Terra’ and ‘Kelly’ are actively engaging in year-round ‘cost-effectiveness marketing.’

OB Beer 'Cass Fresh' 24-Pack Bundle

Since the change in alcohol consumption trends after COVID-19, the share of the home market has grown compared to before, intensifying the competition for market share in major distribution channels such as large supermarkets and convenience stores. While selling large-volume bundle products at the lowest prices, they are also actively launching planned products including goods like cooling bags and exclusive glasses to target ‘home drinking’ consumers.

At major large supermarkets such as E-Mart and Lotte Mart, OB Beer’s ‘Cass Fresh’ is being sold at a discount price of 19,900 KRW for a pack of 24 cans. This amounts to about 829 KRW per can, a ‘cost-effective’ package approximately 40% cheaper than the previous individual sales price. ‘Hanmac,’ which recently launched a new model Suzy and started the ‘Fantastic Foam’ campaign, is selling 8 cans at large supermarkets for around 11,000 KRW, a 23% discount compared to regular individual items. At large supermarkets, OB Beer’s global brands ‘Budweiser’ and ‘Stella Artois’ are also being promoted at prices in the high 9,000 KRW range for 4 cans of 500mL each.

HiteJinro’s Terra cans are also being sold at large supermarkets in packs of 24 for 19,900 KRW. The new product Kelly, launched in April this year, is also participating in the promotion battle with a 24-can pack priced at 19,900 KRW at supermarkets. Additionally, craft beer products such as ‘Jin Lager’ and ‘Coffee Libre Beer’ continue to hold discount events at large supermarkets like Lotte Mart, offering 4 cans for 8,800 KRW.

Meanwhile, according to a recent Open Survey, beer (79.5%) ranked highest among all age groups in response to the question about ‘types of alcohol consumed at home within the last month.’ This is interpreted as an increase in consumers enjoying lighter drinks rather than strong alcohol as the home drinking and solo drinking culture takes root.

An industry insider from the supermarket sector said, “Beers popular among consumers who enjoy home drinking continue to have discount events across various items,” adding, “Since beer consumption is active not only during the summer peak season but also in autumn, we plan to continue price discount events.”

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