煙草在線據韓國聯合通訊社報道編譯　　1月21日，業內統計數字顯示，主要由于經濟增長減緩和普遍開展的反煙運動，韓國去年的卷煙銷售比前一年減少了。

　　根據這些統計數據，日本便民連鎖店在韓國的經營店Ministop韓國2012年的卷煙銷售同比減少了7.6%。

　　韓國Seven公司說，其7-11便民連鎖店在2012年的卷煙銷售同比減少了4.3%；而由韓國當地的大型零售企業GS公司經營的GS25連鎖店的煙草銷售，則比上一年減少了2.2%。

　　在韓國，近一半的卷煙是通過便民店出售。

　　根據這些統計數據，煙草銷售減少，是因為外國卷煙因韓國經濟衰退而出現滯銷所致。

　　據韓國七公司說，其7-11連鎖店去年的外國品牌煙草產品的銷售同比減少了11.3%，而國產卷煙的銷售則增長了2.6%。韓國七公司說，外國產品的銷售占其去年總卷煙銷售的51.4%，比上一年減少了4.2個百分點。

　　此外，英美煙草韓國公司公布，其2012年在韓國的銷售減少了17%，菲莫韓國公司去年在韓國的銷售減少了11.2%。

　　市場內部人士認為，煙草銷售的下滑，是因為最近外國煙草品牌漲價的緣故。2011年，英美煙草韓國公司將其最暢銷的登喜路牌卷煙的價格提高了近8%，而菲莫韓國公司也在去年加入了漲價的大潮中。

　　他們還說，在公共場所實施的嚴格的吸煙禁令和工作場所的反煙活動，也對卷煙銷售產生了影響。

　　煙草業的一名官員說：“由于經濟蕭條和幸福安康發展潮流，越來越多的消費者傾向于戒煙，或購買更便宜的卷煙。這種發展趨勢有可能會在新年里持續。”

South Korea: Cigarette Sales Drop on Weaker Demand

　　Sales of cigarettes in South Korea last year fell from a year earlier due mainly to an economic slowdown and widespread anti-smoking movements, industry data showed Monday.

　　According to the data, Ministop Korea, the local operator of the Japan-based convenience chain store, saw its cigarette sales fall 7.6 percent on-year in 2012.

　　Korea Seven Co. said cigarette sales at its 7-Eleven convenience stores dropped 4.3 percent on-year in 2012, and GS25 chains, run by local retail conglomerate GS Corp., saw tobacco sales dip 2.2 percent on-year.

　　Nearly half of cigarettes are sold through convenience stores in South Korea.

　　The sales decline was led by sluggish sales of foreign cigarettes amid a slump in the local economy, according to the data.

　　According to Korea Seven, its sales of foreign-brand tobacco products at 7-Eleven stores last year plunged 11.3 percent on-year, while local cigarettes sales rose 2.6 percent. It also said sales of foreign products accounted for 51.4 percent of its total cigarette sales last year, down 4.2 percentage points from the previous year.

　　In addition, British American Tobacco Korea Co. (BAT Korea) posted a 17 percent drop in its 2012 sales in South Korea, and Philip Morris Korea Inc. (PM Korea) saw its Korean sales slide 11.2 percent last year.

　　Market insiders attributed the sales drop to a recent price hike in foreign brands. BAT Korea raised the price of its best-selling Dunhill by nearly 8 percent in 2011 and PM Korea joined the move last year.

　　They also said a strict smoking ban in public areas and anti-smoking movements at workplaces have affected cigarette sales.

　　"A growing number of consumers tend to quit smoking or buy cheaper cigarettes due to the economic slump and the so-called well-being trend," said an industry official. "The tendency will likely continue in the new year." Enditem