이 누리집은 대한민국 공식 전자정부 누리집입니다.
Biz News Korea(Eng)
Korea’s instant noodle sales drop amid rise in easy-to-cook meals
- Collected
- 2017.05.23
- Distributed
- 2017.05.24
- Source
- Go Direct
이미지 확대Ramyeon sales at the country’s leading hypermarket retailer E-Mart Inc. over the January-May period this year plunged 12.1 percent from the same period last year, according to data compiled by the retailer on Monday.
Given the fact that the instant noodle has long been a part of Koreans’ everyday meals and eating habits don’t change easily, such sharp fall in ramyeon sales is considered somewhat unusual by industry experts.
Popularity of ramyeon in the country has been gradually waning as consumers became more health conscious due to warnings about high sodium and high saturated fat in ramyeon diet. The instant noodles’ sales at E-Mart rebounded in 2015 and 2016 after years of downfall, but have retreated again this year. Ramyeon sales at Lotte Mart, Korea’s another discount store chain giant, during the first five months of this year also declined 1.6 percent from a year ago.
Sales of easy-to-cook or ready-to-eat meals, on the contrary, have been on a steady rise as a healthier and wholly option to ramyeon. According to Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp., the nation’s ready-to-cook or eat meal market more than doubled to 2.3 trillion won ($2 billion) last year from three years ago.
By Choi Seung-jin and Baek Sang-kyung
[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]