Monthly sales of coffee and tea outpaced those of soft drinks such as coke and cider for the first time in June, according to industry sources on Sunday.

While the sales distribution ratio showed soft drinks taking up 58.6 percent and coffee drinks 41.4 percent in the previous year, it was overturned by the rise in coffee sales percentage soaring to 55.6 percent and soda sales decreasing to 44.4 percent as of June 20. 

Sales for soft drinks experienced a fall of 26 percent as well, while those of coffee and tea-related products went up by 30 percent. 

Demand for soda usually increases in summer, but this year’s unprecedented plunge seems to be highly related to the nation‘s recent boom of coffee shops.

“With the growing number of cafes in South Korea, drinking coffee or tea has become so embedded in our daily lives as to affect coffee sales in retail stores as well. Coffee or tea used to sell only half as much as sodas,” said Kim Sang-he, a groceries manager at Lotte Mart. 

“However, it has risen to about the same level this year, and is expected to continue for at least the next few years.“

From news report
(knews@heraldcorp.com)