Sales of health drinks at convenience stores on the rise

[Courtesy of CU]

South Korean convenience stores are seeing a significant rise in health drink sales, a trend fueled by an increasing consumer preference for ‘healthy pleasure.’ This trend combines health consciousness with enjoyment, reflecting a shift in consumer habits in the post Covid-19 era.

According to a recent analysis of sales data from convenience store brand CU, health drinks—which include protein and vitamin-enriched beverages—now account for 12.7 percent of total beverage sales, up from 8.6 percent in 2020. This increase stands in stark contrast to the sales of caffeinated drinks, which have decreased from 27 percent to 25.2 percent over the same period.

A CU representative noted that while sales of caffeinated beverage continue to grow annually, the surge in health drink sales is particularly steep. Fellow convenience store brand GS25 has similarly seen a shift in sales ratios from 7:3 between caffeinated and health drinks in early 2020 to 6:4 in the first quarter of 2024, indicating a pivot towards health-oriented products.

Seven-Eleven also reported a 20 percent increase in sales of health drinks, including tea beverages, in the first quarter of 2024, compared to a modest 5 percent growth in coffee sales.

The pandemic has played a direct role in boosting the popularity of health drinks as social distancing measures and remote work led to a greater focus on personal health and lower consumption of beverages such as coffee in social settings, market watchers said.

Protein drinks, aimed at fitness enthusiasts in particular, have driven much of the growth in the health drink market. CU has seen protein drink sales soar over the last three years, with increases of 124.5 percent in 2021, 136.7 percent in 2022, and 156.6 percent in 2023. While coffee and energy drinks have also seen growth, they have not been able to match the explosive popularity of health drinks.

GS25 reported a staggering 923 percent jump in protein drink sales in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period four years ago. Vitamin and electrolyte drinks also posted strong sales growth with increases of 67.6 percent and 53.7 percent respectively.

Reflecting this market trend, the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) said that the Korean protein product market has grown fivefold in five years from 80 billion won ($59 million) in 2018 to 400 billion won in 2023.

In response to this growing demand, CU was the first in the industry to launch its own brand of protein drinks in September 2023. Its ‘Jjanggu Action Mask Protein’ drinks quickly became a hit with over 1.6 million units sold and sales surpassing those of existing national brand products in just two months.