[theqoo] NO 'KARINA EFFECT'... WILL LOTTE CHILSUNG'S AMBIGUOUS 'KRUSH' TURN OUT TO BE A FAILURE?

Lotte Chilsung Beverage’s ambitious product Krush, also known as the “Karina beer”, which was introduced as a “4th-generation beer,” is struggling in the domestic beer market. Industry insiders are saying that another failure has emerged in Lotte Chilsung’s beer business, which is often referred to as the company’s “problem child.”

Currently, South Korea’s beer market is dominated by two major players: OB Beer and Hite Jinro. Lotte Chilsung Beverage has launched a series of new beer products in recent years with the goal of securing third place in the industry, but even that seems to be a difficult challenge.

◆ Krush 1st quarter home beer market share less than 5%

According to industry sources on the 30th, Lotte Chilsung Beverage’s beer business continues to struggle this year. Their 2023 launch, Krush beer, also failed to expand market share, just like its predecessors.

According to Nielsen Korea and industry reports, the No. 1 beer in South Korea’s home-use beer market for the first quarter of this year was OB Beer’s Cass Fresh, which held a market share close to 50%.

[...] Lotte Chilsung Beverage’s Krush reportedly had a market share below 5% in Q1.

Launched in November 2023, Krush was initially planned as a product exclusively for the nightlife sector. Its taste was tailored to that market, emphasizing refreshment and smoothness, and it featured a bottle design inspired by an iceberg to attract consumers.

However, less than a month after launch, Lotte Chilsung Beverage shifted Krush’s marketing direction. Although it was originally scheduled to enter retail channels like supermarkets and convenience stores in March 2024, this shift began as early as December 2023, essentially right after its launch.

Industry experts say this quick change in strategy suggests that Lotte Chilsung anticipated Krush would fail in the nightlife market. In that segment, space on alcohol shelves in restaurants and bars is extremely limited, and only a few popular brands manage to secure placement.

[...]

source: https://m.thebigdata.co.kr/view.php?ud=20250530155952273296085a06ef_23

original post: here

1. They're trying to blame everything on Karina. It's because of Karina that people were even consuming it

2. It's disgusting

3. I'm not buying this

4. People were already not buying it, not they'll buy it even less

5. It's not the model. The product sucks

6. It's so disgusting

7. Krush used to be good when they were more fizzyㅠ

8. I used to love Krush, but I'm not gonna drink it anymore

9. That's their model? I'll drink something else