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Starbucks is Koreans’ favorite coffee brand

Starbucks is Koreans' favorite coffee brand

Starbucks remains the most favorite coffee and beverage house for Korean consumers.

SEE ALSO : Starbucks’ dominance deepens in Korea

According to data released by app and retail industry trackers Wiseapp and Wise Retail, the volume of transactions at Starbucks Coffee Korea was estimated at 926.7 billion won (US$783.4 million) in the first six months of 2019, up 29 percent from a year ago.

The data is based on a survey of payments of coffee and beverages by consumers aged over 20 via credit cards, debit cards, wire transfers and mobile micro-transactions. The amount excludes payments made with corporate cards, corporate bank transfers, business-to-business transactions, cash transactions and gift certificate payments.

In June 2019 alone, 6.8 million people made payments at Starbucks outlets in Korea, and each person paid 12,511 won per each visit and made payments 1.8 times on average.

The majority 62 percent of the visitors were those in their 20s and 30s. Females in their 30s took up the largest 19.9 percent, males in their 30s with 15.1 percent, females in their 20s with 13.8 percent, and males in their 20s with 13 percent.

A Twosome Place was the second-most sought place by Koreans, with an estimated transaction volume up 18 percent on year at 277.5 billion won in the January-June period.

Estimated transactions at Ediya Coffee reached 266.4 billion won (up 27 percent), Hollys Coffee 111.9 billion won (up 12 percent) and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf 94.6 billion won (up 19 percent).

Meanwhile, Starbucks Coffee Korea announced it would sell limited editions of specially-made products containing its previous 1999 logos to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of its business in Korea. It also has refurbished its first Korean store near Ewha Womans University in northern Seoul into a boutique coffee shop.

SEE ALSO : Starbucks Korea celebrates 20th anniversary with boutique Ewha R store

Starbucks Coffee Korea opened the country’s first Starbucks store in front of Ewha Womans University on July 27, 1999. With an aggressive expansion in Korea, the company managed 1,262 local stores and earned 1.5 trillion won in sales last year.

(Source: Pulse News)