Capsule coffee sales boom in Korea

As more people enjoy their own coffee at home or at work, sales of capsule coffee machines are going through the roof.

Nescafe Dolce Gusto, the largest capsule coffee machine provider in Korea, announced this week that sales of its capsule coffee machines in the first quarter this year rose 73.4 per cent over the same period of the previous year.

However, during the same period, sales of automatic espresso machines and filter coffee machines saw increases of only 15.6 per cent and 3.5 per cent respectively.

Market watchers believe the rising popularity of capsule coffee machines is the product of consumer demand for both taste and convenience. In particular, they attributed the rise in sales to a tendency among consumers to enjoy reasonably-priced coffee at home instead of splurging on expensive beverages at popular coffee shops, a change brought on by financial restraint in the midst of a period of economic uncertainty.

An official at Nescafe Dolce Gusto said: “In the early stages of the Korean capsule coffee market, newly-wed couples led the way. Now, with a variety of products in terms of price and design, more and more people are showing interest.”

Meanwhile, Nescafe Dolce Gusto is offering a trade-in promotion giving a 50 per cent discount on its new capsule coffee machine to those who exchange their old coffee machine, until June 14.