Starbucks Korea reclaims coffee market lead after 5-month slump

Starbucks Korea reclaimed the top spot among coffee chains in September after five months of consumer backlash over a marketing controversy. Its estimated credit and debit card spending reached 121.08 billion won, while Twosome Place recorded 110.5 billion won. Starbucks had trailed Twosome for four consecutive months after spending fell to 100.39 billion won in June. The recovery followed the gradual resumption of marketing activities.

Starbucks Korea’s estimated card spending rose 4.3 percent from August to September, reaching 121.08 billion won.

Twosome Place’s estimated card spending fell 6.4 percent to 110.5 billion won in September, about 10.58 billion won below Starbucks Korea.

SCK Company reported an operating loss of 18.4 billion won in the second quarter, compared with an operating profit of 40.3 billion won a year earlier.

SCK Company’s second-quarter sales fell 6.1 percent to 747.3 billion won.

Estimated September card spending declined 3.2 percent at Mega MGC Coffee and 6.4 percent at Paik's Coffee, while the data excluded payments made through other methods.

Published Oct 11, 2026 4:36 pm KST

Updated Oct 11, 2026 4:43 pm KST

People walk into a Starbucks store in Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap

Starbucks Korea reclaimed its lead among coffee chains in September, five months after a marketing controversy sparked consumer backlash.

According to data from market tracker IGAWorks on Sunday, the coffee chain recorded 121.08 billion won ($90.1 million) in estimated credit and debit card spending last month, up 4.3 percent from August, overtaking rival Twosome Place to reclaim the top spot.

Starbucks trailed its rival for four consecutive months as its estimated card spending dropped by 13.13 billion won to 121.19 billion won from April to May, before bottoming out at 100.39 billion won in June.

The coffee chain's estimated card spending then rose for three consecutive months, reaching 110.06 billion won in July, 116.12 billion won in August and climbing back above 120 billion won in September for the first time since the downturn.

Twosome's estimated card spending fell 6.4 percent from August to 110.5 billion won in September, about 10.58 billion won below Starbucks.

The recovery follows nationwide backlash over a Starbucks promotion that dubbed May 18, the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, “Tank Day” to market its tumblers, drawing criticism for insensitivity toward victims of the military crackdown.

The campaign sparked calls for a boycott, prompting its parent company, Shinsegae Group, to dismiss the CEO of the coffee chain’s operator, SCK Company, while the group’s chairman, Chung Yong-jin, issued a public apology. The company suspended its summer promotional events and delayed new product launches, gradually resuming marketing activities in June and July.

SCK Company reported an operating loss of 18.4 billion won in the second quarter, compared with a profit of 40.3 billion won a year earlier, while sales fell 6.1 percent to 747.3 billion won.

Meanwhile, the estimated card spending in September at Mega MGC Coffee and Paik's Coffee also declined, falling 3.2 percent and 6.4 percent, respectively.

The figures are based on credit and debit card transactions and do not capture sales made through other payment methods.

在经历了长达五个月的营销争议引发的消费者抵制后，星巴克韩国于9月重夺咖啡连锁店榜首。其信用卡和借记卡消费额估计达到1210.8亿韩元，而Twosome Place的消费额为1105亿韩元。此前，星巴克的消费额在6月份跌至1003.9亿韩元后，连续四个月落后于Twosome Place。此次复苏得益于其营销活动的逐步恢复。

据估计，星巴克韩国8月至9月的信用卡消费额增长了4.3%，达到1210.8亿韩元。

Twosome Place 9 月份的信用卡消费额估计下降了 6.4%，至 1105 亿韩元，比韩国星巴克少了约 105.8 亿韩元。

SCK 公司第二季度营业亏损 184 亿韩元，而去年同期营业利润为 403 亿韩元。

SCK公司第二季度销售额下降6.1%至7473亿韩元。

据估计，Mega MGC Coffee 9 月份的刷卡消费额下降了 3.2%，Paik's Coffee 9 月份的刷卡消费额下降了 6.4%，但该数据不包括通过其他方式进行的支付。

发布于2026年10月11日下午4:36（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月11日下午4:43（韩国标准时间）

周日，人们走进首尔的一家星巴克咖啡店。（韩联社）

在经历了五个月的营销争议引发消费者强烈反对后，星巴克韩国于9月份重新夺回了咖啡连锁店的领先地位。

根据市场追踪机构 IGAWorks 周日公布的数据，这家咖啡连锁店上个月的信用卡和借记卡消费额估计为 1210.8 亿韩元（9010 万美元），比 8 月份增长了 4.3%，超过了竞争对手 Twosome Place，重新夺回了榜首位置。

星巴克连续四个月落后于竞争对手，其信用卡消费额估计从 4 月到 5 月下降了 131.3 亿韩元至 1211.9 亿韩元，然后在 6 月跌至谷底 1003.9 亿韩元。

该咖啡连锁店的信用卡消费额随后连续三个月上升，7 月份达到 1100.6 亿韩元，8 月份达到 1161.2 亿韩元，9 月份自经济低迷以来首次回升至 1200 亿韩元以上。

Twosome 的信用卡消费额估计从 8 月的 1105 亿韩元下降了 6.4%，9 月降至 1105 亿韩元，比星巴克少了约 105.8 亿韩元。

此前，星巴克将 5 月 18 日（1980 年光州事件周年纪念日）定为“坦克日”，以此推销其保温杯，此举引发全国范围内的强烈反弹，被批评对军事镇压的受害者缺乏同理心。

该活动引发了抵制呼声，导致其母公司新世界集团解雇了旗下咖啡连锁店运营商SCK公司的首席执行官，集团董事长郑容真也发表了公开道歉声明。该公司暂停了夏季促销活动，推迟了新产品发布，并于6月和7月逐步恢复了市场营销活动。

SCK 公司公布第二季度营业亏损 184 亿韩元，而去年同期盈利 403 亿韩元；销售额下降 6.1% 至 7473 亿韩元。

与此同时，Mega MGC Coffee 和 Paik's Coffee 9 月份的刷卡消费额估计也分别下降了 3.2% 和 6.4%。

这些数据基于信用卡和借记卡交易，并未包含通过其他支付方式进行的销售。