Retailers push rare wines and premium whisky ahead of holiday season
Liquor gift sets, particularly whisky and wine, are gaining popularity among chuseok shoppers at hypermarkets.
E-mart data comparing chuseok gift set sales from 10 years ago with this year show liquor gift sets climbed from eighth place in sales rankings in 2016 to fourth place this year.
In 2016, canned goods led sales with a 24.4 percent share, followed by condiments at 12.7 percent, lifestyle products such as shampoo and socks at 11.2 percent, and fruit at 10.5 percent. Liquor accounted for just 6.2 percent, placing eighth.
This year, the order shifted to canned goods (25.7 percent), condiments (14.6 percent), fruit (9.7 percent) and liquor (9.2 percent). While practical gifts such as canned goods and condiments remain popular, demand for lifestyle products like shampoo and socks has declined as preference for liquor has grown.
Whisky in particular has been a standout performer. E-mart's sales of whisky gift sets from Aug. 6 — the start of advance reservations for chuseok gift sets — through Tuesday rose 22.2 percent compared with the same period ahead of last year's chuseok.
Department stores have also detected growing demand for ultra-premium whisky ahead of the holiday.
Shinsegae Department Store began selling ultra-premium Macallan expressions ahead of chuseok, including the 40-year-old (32 million won, $23,500), 50-year-old (123 million won), 71-year-old (180 million won) and 78-year-old (220 million won). The Macallan 71-year-old has already sold.
Lotte Department Store is offering the rare "Chateau Margaux 2011–2015 Vintage Collection," while Hyundai Department Store is selling the premium "Petrus 18-Bottle Vertical Collection" and the high-end "Balvenie 50-Year-Old" whisky, among other offerings.
"As consumer tastes become more personalized and segmented, the criteria for choosing holiday gifts are changing," a retail industry official said.
yuni@heraldcorp.com
