The world’s biggest-selling spirit, Korean soju Jinro, has reported a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 73% in the UK over the last three years.
This month Jinro will celebrate its 100th anniversary. In the UK, the brand has enhanced its presence, sponsoring music festivals such as London’s All Points East, and securing multiple supermarket listings.
In 2023, Jinro revealed its first listing in the UK’s second-largest supermarket chain, Sainsbury’s, and online retailer Ocado. A six-pack of Jinro is also available from retailer Costco.
In May 2024, UK supermarket chain Morrison’s confirmed that 91 stores added two SKUs (Plum and Green Grape) to their shelves, and this month, Jinro joined Tesco’s World Foods aisle.
Jason Bonpyo Koo, who has led the brand’s focus on the UK market since 2021, said: “We are proud to report a CAGR of 73% since we began our focus on the UK in 2021. I attribute this to several factors: firstly, our partnership with specialist spirits marketing agency Fourteen Ten; secondly the sponsorship of All Points East festival for the third year in a row; thirdly, securing listings in Sainsbury’s, Costco and Morrison’s; and finally, the UK’s eagerness to embrace Jinro as part of the Korean cultural wave.”
In 2023, the soju brand set its sights on the UK with several activities in the market, including a three-month summer pop-up with Yard Sale Pizza and an activation with WingWing restaurant.
Additionally, based on 2022 local sales data from HiteJinro’s UK distribution channels, sales to local drinkers (non-Asian customers) accounted for 77% of sales compared to 30% in 2015.
Until last year, Jinro was only available in specialist Asian retailers, restaurants and bars.
Jinro said it would continue to invest in the UK market in 2024/2025, focusing on growing mainstream retail listings and maintaining collaborative activities in the on-trade.
In 2023, the Korean spirit suffered a 3.5% fall, but it still shifted an enormous 97.4 million cases, according to The Brand Champions 2024 report.
