Korea's coffee imports surge to record highs in 2020 amid home café boom
이 글자크기로 변경됩니다.
(예시) 가장 빠른 뉴스가 있고 다양한 정보, 쌍방향 소통이 숨쉬는 다음뉴스를 만나보세요. 다음뉴스는 국내외 주요이슈와 실시간 속보, 문화생활 및 다양한 분야의 뉴스를 입체적으로 전달하고 있습니다.
Last year, Korea imported 176,648 tons of coffee, worth $737.8 million, according to the Korea Customs Services data published on Tuesday. The figures are up 5.4 percent and 11.5 percent, respectively, from the previous year. Both are the highest since 2000 when data tracking began.
The country’s coffee maker imports also jumped. Espresso machine imports amounted to $120.5 million, up 35 percent on year.
“While the coffee demand continued steady growth, the home café boom created even greater demand,” said an industry observer.
Monthly coffee exports, in fact, grew when the country underwent stricter social distancing practices. Coffee imports rose 19.7 percent on average compared to a year earlier in August and September when social restriction level was raised higher nationwide. The on-year growth had averaged at 6.4 percent in the previous months. The same pattern was seen in November when the public heath practice rule was again lifted upon virus resurgence, recording 36.9 percent on-year jump in coffee imports.
Overall coffee consumption is rising fast as the home café demand has not only absorbed the coffee demand lost at street cafés from declined foot traffic amid Covid-19 restrictions but further boosted the demand, said Professor Chang Sung-cheol of Sungshin Women's University.
Café chains and food companies are also moving quickly to ride on the coffee boom.
Starbucks, Twosome Place and other major café chains in Korea opened hundreds of new outlets last year. SPC Group, which operates the country’s largest bakery chain Paris Baguette, and other leading food companies also have been expanding their coffee product lineups.
[ⓒ Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]
Copyright © 매일경제 & mk.co.kr. 무단 전재, 재배포 및 AI학습 이용 금지
- Cash-strapped Hanatour Service to sell property assets to stay afloat - Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea
- Mirae Asset to operate Korea’s public pension fund pool of near $20 bn - Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea
- S. Korean President Moon to speak at WEF Davos Agenda on Covid-19 - Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea
- Korean publicist pitches Kimchi ad on NYT - Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea
- NCSoft to broaden its Asian presence with Lineage and K-pop content biz - Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea
- 강경준, 상간남 피소…사랑꾼 이미지 타격 [MK픽] - 스타투데이
- AI가 실시간으로 가격도 바꾼다…아마존·우버 성공 뒤엔 ‘다이내믹 프라이싱’
- 서예지, 12월 29일 데뷔 11년 만에 첫 단독 팬미팅 개최 [공식] - MK스포츠
- 이찬원, 이태원 참사에 "노래 못해요" 했다가 봉변 당했다 - 스타투데이
- 양희은·양희경 자매, 오늘(4일) 모친상 - 스타투데이