Chungha sales hit record high in 1Q

By Park Si-soo

Lotte Liquor said Wednesday its sales of Korean sake brand Chungha reached 11 billion won ($98 million) during the first quarter of the year, exceeding the combined value of Japanese sake imported during the same period for the first time in the company’s history.

Imported Japanese sake during the Jan.-March period was valued at 10.5 billion won, according to the Korea Customs Service.

Lotte said the landmark achievement was attributed to the firm’s consistent efforts to improve the quality of its goods.

“Chungha no longer falls behind Japanese sake in taste,” said Choi Won-suk, a Lotte Liquor spokesman. “We will continue to appeal this to local customers to ensure the item’s consistent growth in sales.”

Choi said the firm’s marketing campaigns will focus more on young consumers. Lotte plans to host a marketing campaign in Busan, the nation’s second largest city, later this week featuring several popular entertainers born in the city.

It also recently opened a website on Facebook (

www.facebook.com/lotte.chungha

) to launch online campaigns.