The Korea Times

Discount stores expand bakery sections to attract more shoppers

Models pose with cake products at Emart's private bakery brand Boulanger in Yongsan, Seoul, in this 2022 file photo. Courtesy of Shinsegae FoodBy Kim Jae-heunEmart and other discount store chains are enhancing their in-store bakeries by introducing more cost-effective products under private brands to attract more customers amid continued high inflation, according to company officials, Sunday.With local bakery franchises such as Paris Baguette and Tour Les Jour rushing to hike prices, retailers are seeking to offer alternatives to consumers by offering bread items in bulk, at competitive prices.Emart has opened 133 brand bakeries such as Boulangerie, Ebakery and Milk and Honey at its stores across the country. The products vary from premium desserts to pizzas and cost-effective cakes that come in bundles. “Bakeries at our stores are operated by Shinsegae Food and we are strengthening their competitiveness by improving the quality of products and promoting the brands,” an Emart official said. “We want to prove to customers that our products can taste as good as those

May 8, 2023By Kim Jae-heun

Discount stores expand bakery sections to attract more shoppers

Companies

Asahi's canned 'draft beer' gains popularity among beer lovers

A consumer holds Asahi Super Dry Draft Can products at a GS25 convenience store in Seoul on May 1. Courtesy of GS25By Kim Jae-heunRetailers are going all out to get their hands on Asahi's new super dry draft canned beer, imported by Lotte Asashi Liquor, as they have quickly run out of stock due to high consumer demand since its launch on May 1, according to industry officials, Sunday.The new offering is the world's first canned beer that, when opened, produces a fine foam that tastes just like a tap-poured draft beer.“Asahi Super Dry Draft Can was already popular among local beer lovers, even before its launch in Korea. The product went viral on social media in Japan at first and many Koreans have waited long to taste it here,” a 33-year-old office worker surnamed Han said. Lotte Asashi Liquor launched a limited quantity of Asahi Super Dry Draft Can in Korea on the first day of this month. It instantly grabbed the attention of local consumers and went viral on social media as it did in Japan.Retailers are competing against one another to secure as much supply volume as th

May 7, 2023By Kim Jae-heun

Asahi's canned 'draft beer' gains popularity among beer lovers

Companies

Robots begin to replace humans in F&B industry

Woowa Brothers' rental robot serves food at a restaurant, in this promotional picture provided by the food delivery firm. Courtesy of Woowa Brothers By Kim Jae-heunAn increasing number of local food firms and retailers are beginning to adopt a variety of robots to replace employees amid soaring wages as a result of a shortage of workers and as a way to boost work efficiency, industry officials said Thursday.To capitalize on the trend, Woowa Brothers, the operator of the country's largest food delivery platform Baedal Minjok, has been bolstering its rental service for server and delivery robots to restaurants and other labor-intensive hospitality establishments.Server robots can carry dishes of food weighing up to 40 kilograms all at once. Not only do they serve food in restaurants but also promote menu specials and celebrate customers' birthdays upon request. A robot fri

May 5, 2023By Kim Jae-heun

Robots begin to replace humans in F&B industry

Travel & Food

Foreign tourists surprised by soaring food prices in Korea

Foreign tourists visit the popular shopping district of Myeong-dong in central Seoul on March 22. Korea Times fileBy Kim Jae-heunToey Suwat, a 45-year-old tourist from Thailand was surprised to find out how expensive dining out in Korea has become since her last visit three years ago.“I visited Korea before COVID-19 and so many restaurants here have increased food prices in three years. I remember fried chicken normally cost around 15,000 won back then and now it costs well over 20,000 won. I feel more reluctant to spend now,” Suwat said. A 34-year-old Taiwanese tourist called, En En Vorachit also echoed the same sentiments, saying that he cannot visit Korea without having to worry about money anymore.“Last time I came to Korea, a bottle of soju cost 3,000 won at restaurants. Now, it cost 5,000 won or more. Other food prices have increased so much too. I don't think I can visit Korea as many times as I would like to in the future,” Vorachit said. Menu shows burger prices attached to Burger King's restaurant in Seoul, March 8. YonhapAccording to the Korea Consu

May 4, 2023By Kim Jae-heun

Foreign tourists surprised by soaring food prices in Korea

Companies

Emart showcases future of offline retail store

Emart's Yeonsu branch in Incheon / Courtesy of EmartBy Kim Jae-heunWhile many retailers have followed global trends by going online during COVID-19, Emart has focused on expanding its offline business. This has begun to bear results, according to company officials, Wednesday.Korea's largest discount store chain's newly renovated branch in Yeonsu District, Incheon, saw its sales jump 18 percent and the number of visitors went up 23 percent in the first month after reopening, from the same period last year. The store opened on March 30. Emart has integrated 30 years of expertise in its retail business to upgrade its grocery section and specialty corners at its Yeonsu branch, which played a key role in attracting more customers than before. In the grocery section, the store adopts smart farm technology to cultivate its own vegetables so as to provide the freshest products to customers. Also, every month, there is a tuna filleting demonstration for curious visitors. There are also a Kids Bounce, an indoor play area for children and a gift shop for Shinsegae's professional baseball team,

May 4, 2023By Kim Jae-heun

Emart showcases future of offline retail store

Companies

Dongwon F&B runs large-scale promotion in 'family month' of May

Dongwon F&B's various health functional food products / Courtesy of Dongwon F&BBy Kim Jae-heunDongwon F&B has kicked off a large sales event with discounts of up to 51 percent for its various health functional foods until the end of June, the company said Tuesday.One of the most prominent products is Ultra Vita Action, a highly concentrated multivitamin produced under its premium health functional food brand Oliniq. It is an all-in-one product that contains liquid, capsule and tablet in a bottle. It can be consumed without water anywhere and anytime, once a day. Ultra Vita Action contains 21 essential nutrients including zinc, vitamin B, C and D and various minerals. On top of that, it contains 11 kinds of vegetable mixed concentrate powders and 15 kinds of fermentation enzyme powders, which can help balance nutrition management as well as immune function. “Dongwon F&B hope to improve immunity and health of customers by offering high-concentration multivitamin Oliniq Ultra Vita Action that can be easily consumed once a day,” a Dongwon F&B official said

May 3, 2023By Kim Jae-heun

Dongwon F&B runs large-scale promotion in 'family month' of May

Companies

Diageo Korea criticized for allegedly forcing unwanted drinks on local bars

Diageo Korea CEO Dan Hamilton, left, clinks a glass of Johnnie Walker whisky with global brand ambassador CL, a member of disbanded girl group 2NE1, at the brand's promotional event in Seoul, June 8, 2021. Korea times file By Kim Jae-heunDiageo Korea is facing growing criticism for allegedly forcing bars, nightclubs and other establishments to purchase unwanted liquor products in bundles with its popular whisky Johnnie Walker, according to industry officials, Tuesday. On April 14, the Korean unit of the British Whisky brand sent a letter outlining its new sales policy to customers, in which they will have to buy all seven of its imported liquors, including Singleton, Talisker, Tanqueray and Don Julio, every month from May to July this year, to place an order for blended whisky brand Johnnie Walker.“This new policy is designed to foster a continued growth in the domestic whisky market, in accordance with Diageo's global brand strategy. The detailed guidelines such as

May 2, 2023By Kim Jae-heun

Diageo Korea criticized for allegedly forcing unwanted drinks on local bars

Companies

Retailers ride on Japan marketing to boost sales

A new cinnamon roll dessert offered by Baskin-Robbins, operated here by SPC Samlip, features Sanrio characters. / Courtesy of SPCBy Kim Jae-heunDomestic retailers are rushing to launch new products and promotional events utilizing popular Japanese animations as the nation's sentiment against Japan has thawed in recent months, according to industry officials Friday.In 2019, local consumers declared a boycott on many Japanese firms after the neighboring country imposed trade sanctions on Korea over historical conflicts. However, after several popular Japanese animations including “The First Slam Dunk” and “Suzume” hit the jackpot here recently, consumers' anti-Japan feelings seem to have melted away. Baskin-Robbins Korea, operated by SPC Samlip, has introduced a new “Cinnamon Roll in the Cloud” dessert in collaboration with Japanese animation character company Sanrio on Thursday. Sanrio characters, which were introduced to Korea in 1998, have recently gained popularity again among teenagers and twenty-somethings. Based on the popular character Hello

Apr 29, 2023By Kim Jae-heun

Retailers ride on Japan marketing to boost sales

Companies

Hyundai Mobis CEO vows to become mobility platform provider

Hyundai Mobis CEO Cho Sung-hwan gives a keynote speech at the 44th International Vienna Motor Symposium in Austria, Thursday. Courtesy of Hyundai MobisBy Kim Jae-heunHyundai Mobis CEO Cho Sung-hwan attended the 44th Vienna International Motor Symposium in Austria, Thursday (local time), illustrating the company's future strategy as a mobility platform provider, company officials said Friday. He spoke about the company's willingness to strengthen its key competitiveness in the future mobility sector, focusing on electrification, autonomous driving and connectivity.The CEO also introduced Hyundai Motor Group's vision for future mobility and gave a clear picture of Hyundai Mobis' strategy in connection with the group's approach. “Hyundai Mobis will deliver a differentiated platform to customers in the electrification, autonomous driving and connectivity sectors based on software with exceptional quality and optimum semiconductors,” Cho said during his talk at the motor symposium on Thursday. He also discussed the company's plan to promote the new businesses as its next growt

Apr 28, 2023By Kim Jae-heun

Hyundai Mobis CEO vows to become mobility platform provider

Companies

Dongwon abandons bid to acquire McDonald's Korea

A customer receives her order at a McDonald's restaurant in Seoul, in this 2021 file photo. Courtesy of McDonald's KoreaBy Kim Jae-heunDongwon Group has abandoned its bid to acquire McDonald's Korea, according to company officials, Thursday, citing an unresolvable disagreement with its U.S. headquarters on how to manage the fast food chain in Korea.Dongwon Group Vice Chairman Kim Nam-jungDongwon Industries, the holding company of Dongwon Group, had started reviewing a possible takeover of the local branch of the U.S. fast food restaurant chain early this year, but it recently halted the negotiations.“We will not proceed in further negotiations with McDonald's Korea due to an irreconcilable difference in our stance on contract conditions,” a Dongwon Group official said. “We cannot reveal further details due to the legal terms of the contract.” The new buyer is required to pay about 5 percent in royalties to McDonald's U.S. headquarters under the master license agreement. Dongwon would have been required to pay $45,000 for every new store it opened here. However

Apr 28, 2023By Kim Jae-heun

Kim Jae-heun

Read more

Discount stores expand bakery sections to attract more shoppers

Asahi's canned 'draft beer' gains popularity among beer lovers

Robots begin to replace humans in F&B industry

Foreign tourists surprised by soaring food prices in Korea

Emart showcases future of offline retail store

Dongwon F&B runs large-scale promotion in 'family month' of May

Diageo Korea criticized for allegedly forcing unwanted drinks on local bars

Retailers ride on Japan marketing to boost sales

Hyundai Mobis CEO vows to become mobility platform provider

Dongwon abandons bid to acquire McDonald's Korea

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