South Korea: Beer industry witnessing shift in packaging towards clear bottles

South Korea’s beer industry is witnessing a significant shift in packaging as major breweries embrace clear bottles, marking a departure from traditional colored glass containers, Korea Bizwire reported on November 7.

The trend began in 2021 when Oriental Brewery (OB) introduced the country’s first domestically produced beer in clear bottles with its Cass Fresh brand. The transparent packaging attracted consumers by allowing them to visually appreciate the beer’s clarity while presenting a clean, fresh image.

Following OB’s lead, other major breweries have joined the clear bottle movement. Lotte Chilsung Beverage launched its fourth-generation beer Kloud Crush in clear bottles in November last year, while Hite Jinro introduced its new light beer Terra Light in transparent packaging this July. With these launches, all three major domestic beer manufacturers now offer flagship brands in clear bottles.

The competition in the beer market has also expanded into the light beer segment, responding to growing consumer demand for lower-calorie options. OB’s Cass Light led the domestic light beer market in the first half of this year.

The company further strengthened its light beer lineup in May by introducing Michelob Ultra, a premium light beer that has achieved market leadership in the United States. Hite Jinro joined the light beer competition in July with Terra Light.

“The beer market is highly competitive with hundreds of products vying for consumer attention,” said an industry insider.

“In the current economic downturn with dampened consumer sentiment, companies appear to be adopting successful strategies from market leaders as a key approach to maintaining competitiveness.”

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