Maeil Ilbo | How About Distinctive Coffee as a Lunar New Year Gift?
Maeil Ilbo reported on the gift-set competition among coffee franchises ahead of the 2017 Lunar New Year. It introduced new products from Ediya Coffee, Caffebene, and Tom N Toms, alongside blending-tea cafe Ogada's "Lunar New Year Limited Edition Gift Set," created in collaboration with Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung.
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[Maeil Ilbo, Reporter Kim A-ra] Following distribution channels and the food and beverage industry, franchise coffee shops are also rolling out Lunar New Year gift sets one after another, competing for consumer attention.
According to industry sources on the 16th, Ediya Coffee has launched its "2017 Drip Coffee Gift Set" ahead of the holiday. Reflecting the growing trend of "home café" enthusiasts who brew their own coffee at home, the set includes everything needed for hand-drip brewing: 100g each of dark blend and light blend beans, an eco mug, a coffee dripper, coffee filters, and a stainless steel bean measuring spoon. It also comes with a small booklet that illustrates the drip-brewing process, making it easy to enjoy for both enthusiasts and beginners alike. Priced at 23,100 won, it will be sold in limited quantities at Ediya Coffee franchises nationwide.
Caffebene has also released two kinds of value-oriented coffee gift sets perfect for holiday gifting: a cold brew set and a single-item set. Featuring cold brew, which can easily be made into various recipes at home or in the office, is a key highlight.
The Caffebene Cold Brew Set consists of three bottles of cold brew coffee (single-origin Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, single-origin Kenya Mount Elgon, and a Brazil-Ethiopia blend) along with two mugs bearing the Caffebene logo. It allows customers to compare the distinct character and flavor of beans from different origins. Priced at 32,000 won.
There is also a single-item set that makes for an easy, unburdensome gift. The Caffebene Cold Brew Single-Origin Set packages one bottle of single-origin cold brew coffee in an elegant cardboard tube, adding refinement at a reasonable price. It comes in three varieties — single-origin Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, single-origin Kenya Mount Elgon, and single-origin Guatemala Atitlán — priced in the 10,000-won range.
Tom N Toms has also unveiled nine kinds of "2017 Lunar New Year Gift Sets." The lineup ranges from Tom N Toms' signature liquid coffee and hand-drip coffee to the "Tom N Toms Winter Edition Set," available only for this year's holiday. It includes a total of nine varieties: the "Liquid Coffee Gift Set," "Cold Brew Mild Set," "Water Edition Set," and the "Special Gift Set," which combines "Granola Daily Meal" with the popular "Eco Handle Drinking Jar," hand-drip coffee, and triangular tea-bag coffee. Notably, these gift sets are priced around 30,000 won, making them easy to give and receive without financial burden.
Blending-tea cafe Ogada has launched a Lunar New Year limited-edition gift set produced through an art collaboration with Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung. It comes in five varieties — "Hallabong Omija Limited Set," "Yuja Orange Limited Set," "Plum Lemon Limited Set," "Apple Rooibos Limited Set," and "Hallabong Green Limited Set" — that customers can choose from to suit their taste. Prices range from the 30,000-won to 40,000-won range. Meanwhile, customers who purchase the Lunar New Year limited-edition gift set in-store will receive two kinds of art coasters featuring Kim Hyun Jung's work.
Specialty tea brand Gong Cha Korea is offering a limited-quantity Lunar New Year gift set composed of Tea Expert pouches. The Tea Expert pouch contains minimally processed tea leaves packaged in pouches, available in varieties such as black tea, Earl Grey, and mango.
Fresh fruit juice brand Juicy is selling its "Premium Fruit Set" for Lunar New Year. It comes in three varieties: an apple set, a double set (apple and pear), and a triple gift set (apple, pear, and hallabong). Juicy's fruit sets are handpicked directly by Juicy's own fruit division, composed entirely of high-quality fruit suitable even for ancestral rites. Priced in the 30,000-won range. Customers can visit any Juicy store nationwide, select a delivery date between the 23rd and 26th, and pick up their order at the requested store on the chosen date.
An industry insider said, "For this holiday, reflecting the social mood favoring value-for-money gifts following the implementation of the Kim Young-ran Act, we prepared products that let people enjoy premium coffee, tea, and fruit at a reasonable price of around 30,000 won."