TOKYO - Yang Yin-jip, the chief executive officer of Jinro Japan, smiled with satisfaction as Ken Narita carefully checked out the color and scent of a cup of traditional Korean rice wine.
Nartia - the executive vice president of Kokubu, Japan’s largest liquor and food wholesaler - lit up as he examined the sample of wine, also known as makgeolli, during an event at the New Otani Hotel in Tokyo, Japan on Feb. 16.It’s just the kind of response Yang is hoping to get from consumers in Japan going forward.
The briefing was organized by Jinro Japan, the Japanese unit of Korean alcoholic beverage manufacturer Hite-Jinro Group, ahead of its move to boost its makgeolli presence in the Japanese market.
Roughly 300 officials and executives from the Japanese liquor industry showed up at the event.
Among those in attendance: top officials from alcohol makers Kokubu, Nishuhan and Itochu.
Hite-Jinro plans to enter the Japanese market in full force with its makgeolli product as the popularity of the Korean rice wine grows. Jinro currently sells makgeolli in Japan, but only on a limited basis.
Starting in March, the group will distribute its liquor to 1,000 wholesalers and 10,000 liquor retailers in the country. Jinro aims to sell 100,000 cases in Japan this year. Each case contains 15 1-liter bottles of makgeolli. The company hopes to raise the number to 500,000 cases annually by 2012 and earn 2 billion yen ($21.8 million) in sales.
“Jinro makgeolli might stimulate the stagnant alcohol beverage market in Japan,” said Shinichi Mizutani, president of Mitsui Foods, who participated in the event.
Recently, Japanese consumers have been moving away from strong alcoholic beverages such as soju and whiskey and favoring lighter alcoholic drinks.
Jinro Japan, which enjoyed 250 billion won ($218 million) in sales and 13 billion won in operating profit in 2008, recently added makgeolli to its line of alcoholic beverages, realizing there is a limit to how much soju it can sell in Japan.
The company said its business partners have been requesting supplies of makgeolli.
Currently there are around 40 types of makgeolli from Korea sold in Japan, and most are distributed through local importers.
Jinro Japan’s efforts to tap into the market represent the first time an alcoholic beverage company with a nationwide distribution network has made a concerted effort to penetrate the Japanese market.
“In recent years, the makgeolli market in Japan has been enjoying annual growth of 40 percent,” said Jinro Japan CEO Yang. “The alcohol market is spreading to wider a consumer group that includes women in their 20s and mid-30s.”
Jinro Japan introduced a makgeolli that is sweeter and heavier in Japan, catering to the needs and tastes of Japanese consumers. The company is also planning to air commercials as well as host parties to get the word out about its makgeolli.
Link: http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2916956
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