Tim Hortons says it knows what South Koreans want, but will its new strategy work?

The Canadian coffee giant has struggled to make inroads in South Korea’s highly competitive branded coffee shop market, but it’s not giving up without a fight

Tim Hortons’ arrival in South Korea was met with much fanfare in 2023. The Canadian coffee chain sold over 300,000 doughnuts and 100,000 cups of coffee during its first month in Seoul’s vibrant Gangnam district.

However, the buzz appears to have largely fizzled out over the last two years, with the coffee chain’s premium pricing falling flat in market dominated by hugely scaled discounters, such as Mega Coffee and Compose Coffee.

Today, Tim Hortons operates just 25 stores in one of the world’s most densely competitive branded coffee shop markets.