According to the Russian daily “Kommersant,” retail sales of South Korean ice cream in Russia have surged by approximately 90% from July last year to July this year. This remarkable growth stands out when compared to the overall 27.3% increase in ice cream sales across Russia during the same period.
The newspaper adds that South Korean ice cream is primarily sold through Russian retail chains, with some stores reporting that it accounts for one-third of all imported ice cream.
Due to this popularity, large supermarkets in Moscow now feature dedicated freezers exclusively for South Korean ice creams like Melona, Screw Bar, and Watermelon Bar.
Alexey Popovichev, Executive Director of the Russian Consumer Goods Association “RusBrand,” commented that the rising popularity of South Korean culture, including movies, TV series, and K-pop, among Russian youth is likely contributing to the increased ice cream sales.
In fact, Professor Adelia, who studies Korean at a Russian university, noted that the popularity of Korean dramas has led to a growing number of young people wanting to learn Korean. She explained that some are willing to pay between 500 rubles (about 7,400 yen) and 3,000 rubles (about 40,000 yen) per hour to find a Korean language teacher.
On the other hand, Igor Karabaev, Chairman of the Russian Retail Companies Association (ACORT), pointed out that imported products are generally twice as expensive, so Russian-made products are still preferred by the general public. He added that imported ice cream accounts for about 7-8% of all ice cream sold in Russia.
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