Starbucks Reclaims No. 1 Spot in Coffee Brand Payment Value 5 Months After 'Tank Day' Controversy

Starbucks, which faced fierce criticism in May due to the "Tank Day" controversy, has reclaimed the top spot in coffee brand credit and debit card payment value after five months.

According to mobile big data platform IGAWorks' Mobile Index on October 11, Starbucks' estimated credit and debit card payment value for September was tallied at 121.08 billion won.

This is a 4.3% increase compared to a month earlier.

On the other hand, A Twosome Place recorded 110.5 billion won, a 6.4% decrease from the previous month.

As a result, Starbucks overtook A Twosome Place by about 10.6 billion won, reversing the rankings.

Starbucks lagged behind A Twosome Place for four consecutive months from May to August, with its payment value dropping from 121.19 billion won in May to 100.39 billion won in June.

This represents a decrease of 20.8 billion won, or about 17%, in a single month.

However, after recovering to the 110 billion won range in July and the 116 billion won range in August, it rebounded to the 120 billion won range in September, continuing an upward trend for three straight months.

Previously, Starbucks Korea sparked controversy on May 18 by using the expression "Tank Day" for a tumbler discount event.

As criticism spread that it was reminiscent of the martial law army's tanks during the May 18 Democratization Movement, the company immediately suspended the event.

Shinsegae Group dismissed the CEO of Starbucks Korea, and Chairman Jung Yong-jin issued a direct apology. The company also conducted historical education for employees and suspended summer new product launches and promotional events.

Starting in July, it sequentially resumed new product launches and customer benefit programs.

This tally is an estimate based on credit and debit card payment data, and there is a difference from total sales that include Starbucks' proprietary prepaid cards or mobile gift certificates.

Reported by Sim Yeong-gu | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Lee Jung-joo | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.