Ahead of this year's Chuseok holiday, top-tier limited-edition liquor has gained popularity in the retail sector. Whiskeys priced over 100 thousand won and wines in the tens of millions of won range have been sold. Industry sources explain that these are products produced in limited quantities of fewer than a few dozen bottles worldwide, driving demand from collectors seeking to acquire them like high-end art pieces.
According to the retail industry on the 21st, Shinsegae Department Store sold the Macallan Red Collection 71-year-old ahead of the Chuseok holiday. Priced at 180 million won, only a single bottle was offered for sale.
For this Chuseok, Shinsegae Department Store also showcased rare, ultra-aged products over 50 years old, including Macallan 40-year-old (360 million won), 50-year-old (123 million won), and 78-year-old (2.2 million won) series, Gordon & MacPhail Mr. George Legacy Edition 3, Glen Grant 1959 (20.2 million won), and Bowmore 1969 (100.5 million won).
At Lotte Department Store, limited-edition premium wines 'Château Léoville Las Cases 2015' (123 million won) and 'Château Petrus 2010' (0.1 billion won), each sold in single-bottle quantities, found new owners. The highest-priced item featured was the Advec: The Abyss (40 million won) whiskey.
Hyundai Department Store showcased ultra-high-end limited-edition liquor as Chuseok gifts, including 'Pétrus 18-bottle Vertical Collection' (360 million won) and 'Balvenie 50-year-old' (85 million won). Although not yet sold, consultations have continued steadily, primarily with VIP customers.
These ultra-high-end products are reportedly secured through a structure where department stores negotiate in advance with origin manufacturers and liquor distributors to secure limited sales volumes. An industry source explained, "For ultra-high-end liquors priced over 100 thousand won, product planners must begin negotiations years in advance to secure the items."
Ultra-high-end liquor effectively serves as an investment asset, much like high-end art. Purchases are typically made for collection rather than consumption. Recognized for their value as art pieces through features such as over 100-year-old distillery histories, unique brand characteristics, and bottle packaging designed in collaboration with famous designers, these products command premium prices.
In fact, there have been cases where values skyrocketed. 'Macallan Adami 1926', which sold for a record-breaking 2.2 million won pounds (approximately 3.5 billion won) at a Sotheby's auction in the UK in 2023, was originally sold in extremely limited quantities to VIPs and collectors at the Macallan distillery in 1986. The initial selling price was approximately 80 million dollars, or around 6 million to 7 million won, meaning it appreciated 350-fold over 40 years.
Recently, sales channels for ultra-high-end liquor have expanded from department stores to convenience stores. As major channels selling significant volumes of whiskey and wine annually, liquor distributors are now supplying not only mid-to-low-priced lines but also a diverse range of high-end and ultra-high-end products.
Ahead of this year's Chuseok, high-end liquor gift sets offered at convenience stores have also gained popularity.
The 'Five Great Châteaux Wine Set 2016' sold by GS25, despite its high price of 9.499 million won, saw all seven prepared sets sell out within five hours on the day of launch on the 17th of last month. CU's limited-quantity release of 'Valentine 30-year-old' (1.08 million won) also sold out on its launch day. Seven-Eleven also saw complete sellouts of high-end wines in the 1st million won range, including 'Masseto 2022' (1.68 million won) and 'Château Lafite Rothschild 2023' (1.18 million won), showcased ahead of the Chuseok holiday.
Convenience stores are increasingly creating dedicated liquor sections within their respective apps to broaden their customer base. GS25 launched Wine25+ within its Our Neighborhood GS app in July 2020, CU introduced CU BAR into its Pocket CU app starting in 2021, and Seven-Eleven established a liquor section in its Seven App in 2021. Convenience stores have also introduced pre-order sales leveraging store proximity convenience and in-store pickup services. While mid-to-low-priced products in the 10,000 to 20,000 won range were once the main focus, businesses have recently expanded their scope to include high-end liquor priced over 100,000 won.
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