Starbucks Korea reclaims coffee market lead after 5-month slump

Starbucks Korea reclaimed its lead among coffee chains in September, five months after a marketing controversy sparked consumer backlash. According to data from market tracker IGAWorks on Sunday, the coffee chain recorded 121.08 billion won ($90.1 million) in estimated credit and debit card spending last month, up 4.3 percent from August, overtaking rival Twosome Place to reclaim the top spot. Starbucks trailed its rival for four consecutive months as its estimated card spending dropped by 13.13 billion won to 121.19 billion won from April to May, before bottoming out at 100.39 billion won in June. The coffee chain's estimated card spending then rose for three consecutive months, reaching 110.06 billion won in July, 116.12 billion won in August and climbing back above 120 billion won in September for the first time since the downturn. Twosome's estimated card spending fell 6.4 percent from August to 110.5 billion won in September, about 10.58 billion won below Starbucks. The recovery follows nationwide backlash over a Starbucks promotion that dubbed May 18, the anniversary of the 1980 Gwa