CU Targets Stay-at-Home Market with 'Fresh HMR' Combining Convenience and Freshness

CU announced on the 13th that it will launch two types of "spoonable pizza" (Pepperoni, Hawaiian).

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] CU is launching a variety of semi-prepared foods to target the growing 'stay-at-home' market driven by the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

According to CU on the 13th, last year's HMR (Home Meal Replacement) sales grew by 28.7% compared to the previous year, recording a sales growth rate about 1.5 times higher than in 2019. In particular, from September to December, when COVID-19 cases surged sharply, sales increased by up to 40.1% compared to the previous year.

Looking in detail, refrigerated HMR sales such as Tteokbokki grew by 32.6% compared to the previous year, and frozen HMR sales such as dumplings and Dakgangjeong also rose by 18.9% during the same period.

Accordingly, CU plans to strengthen 'Fresh HMR,' which can simultaneously satisfy the convenience of HMR and the freshness of meal kits. 'Fresh HMR' can be easily cooked using various kitchen appliances such as microwaves, and is a refrigerated product rather than frozen, minimizing texture damage and nutrient loss. It is especially suitable for single- or two-person households who find large-sized supermarket-type HMR products burdensome.

First, CU will sequentially launch two types of 'Spoonable Pizza' (Pepperoni, Hawaiian). Both products use 100% natural cheese, and the toppings, excluding the bread, account for 80% of the total weight, filling the inside fully.

The spoonable pizza can be heated in the container itself using a microwave, air fryer, or gas stove, allowing anyone to cook it easily. Designed for one person, it can be enjoyed alone as a snack or meal substitute without burden. The price is 5,900 won.

Starting with pizza, which showed the highest growth rate in HMR last year, CU plans to expand its lineup to include single-serving stews and hot pots, Chinese cuisine, and various other products.

Jung Seong-wook, head of the Convenience Food Team at BGF Retail, said, “Fresh HMR is a new form of HMR that leverages the advantages of convenience stores and was planned to target the niche market of single- or two-person households who find meal kits requiring significant cooking or large-sized supermarket-type HMR products burdensome. Based on CU’s expertise in fresh foods and fresh delivery infrastructure, we will introduce a variety of menus that have been difficult to offer as convenience foods until now.”

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