[Post-Corona, Ready Meals Rise] Half-and-Half Menus & Manageable Portions, Convenience Stores Optimized for Single-Person Households

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] The number one item with increased convenience store purchases over the past year is ready-to-eat meals. According to a survey, purchases of convenience store ready-to-eat meals increased by 32.4% compared to last year. In response, the convenience store industry has launched various ready-to-eat meals to attract consumers.

GS25 has released a cost-effective Banban Jokbo Set tailored for single-person households. Jokbal (pig's trotters) and bossam (boiled pork wraps) are consistently top-selling delivery food items, but they require large orders and are priced between 25,000 to 40,000 KRW, making it difficult for single-person households to order and enjoy them. This insight led to the planning of this product.

The Banban Jokbo Set is composed of half portions of Spicy Fire Jokbal (120g) and Garlic Bossam (100g), allowing customers to enjoy a variety of flavors at once. It comes with radish kimchi, ssamjang (wrap sauce), and garlic, so 1-2 person households can conveniently enjoy a hearty meal or snack without preparing additional vegetables. The Banban Jokbo Set, launched as a highly cost-effective product, has received great response since its release and has established itself as a best-selling convenience store item.

CU is supporting local farmers who have been struggling due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic by developing products using agricultural and specialty products. CU partnered with Boseong County to launch a ready-to-eat meal series using Boseong's specialty products, Boseong Nokdon (green pork) and Boseong green tea.

The main product of the ready-to-eat meal series, "Boseong Nokdon Jeongsik," is a dish that includes various vegetables stir-fried with chewy pork hind leg meat and spicy bulgogi, along with tender and mild pork loin cutlet coated in a thin batter and fried crispy, all served on one plate. Since this product was planned to promote the consumption of domestic agricultural products, all main ingredients used in the side dishes, such as rice, anchovies, canola greens, and eggs, are domestically sourced.

The Boseong Green Tea Bibim Noodles target customers looking for cold refrigerated noodles during the summer season. The green tea noodles contain Boseong green tea extract and are mixed with fresh vegetables like romaine lettuce, stonecrop, and carrots, along with spicy bibim sauce, allowing customers to fully enjoy the crunchy texture and umami flavor.

Seven Eleven introduced optimized menus for single-person households through its comprehensive home meal replacement brand "Soban." It provides solutions perfectly suited to the eating habits of single-person households, covering not only meal types but also side dishes and snacks. Thanks to Soban's popularity, the total sales of home meal replacements in the first quarter of this year grew by 26.6% compared to the previous year.

Soban currently offers a total of 30 products, including rice bowl dishes, side dishes, and noodles. Soban's "Direct Fire Kimchi Fried Rice" features crunchy chopped kimchi for a great texture and a spicy flavor, while "Direct Fire Shrimp Fried Rice" is made by adding whole plump shrimp to egg fried rice. Without any additional cooking process, customers can enjoy satisfaction comparable to homemade meals using only a microwave. The portion size is suitable for single-person households, so there is no burden of leftovers or waste. Soban aligns with the characteristics of convenience store customers and forms one pillar of Seven Eleven's fresh food store implementation alongside lunchboxes.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.