Prices of chocolate and coffee on the rise, end-of-year prices rising

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As the year-end approaches, prices are on the rise once again.

The prices of chocolate snacks, coffee, and bottled water have all increased.

The burden on shopping carts has grown heavier.

This is Hwang Da-ye reporting.

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This is a chocolate snack that children love.

It has maintained its price of 1,000 won for the past 10 years, but starting today (Dec. 1), it has risen to 1,200 won, a 20% increase.

Another chocolate snack has increased from 1,700 won to 1,900 won, a rise of 200 won.

[Kim Ji-yoo/Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi-do Province: "I buy it with my allowance, but it’s really upsetting when the prices go up and I can’t buy it."]

The price of cocoa processed from cacao has risen by 127% over the past year, leading to a series of price increases for chocolate snacks.

Orion has raised the prices of 13 products by an average of 10.6% starting today, while Haitai Confectionery has increased the prices of 10 products by an average of 8.6%.

[Industry Official: "The international price of cacao, the main ingredient in chocolate, has recently surged, and market forecasts suggest that price increases will continue in the future, which has made such decisions unavoidable."]

Coffee prices have also gone up.

Following Starbucks Korea's price increase on some coffee bean products, Dongseo Foods has recently raised prices on some products, including coffee mix.

Even the price of water has risen, causing Nongshim to increase their wholesale price of bottled water by an average of 9.9%.

Palm oil, used in the production of snacks and ramen, has also risen by more than 20% compared to the average year, raising concerns about further price increases for other products.

[Kim Yeon-jung/Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi-do Province: "They say the raw material prices are going up, but once prices go up, they never come back down."]

With continuing price increases, there are concerns that the burden on shopping carts will dampen consumer sentiment as the year-end approaches.

This is KBS News Hwang Da-ye.