CU, Triangle Kimbap Sales Up 37.8%...Significant Increase in University and Academy Areas

CU's analysis of ready-to-eat food sales in March showed that triangular kimbap recorded the highest sales growth rate.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] CU announced on the 15th that among convenience foods, triangular kimbap recorded the highest sales growth rate in March, when the new semester began.

In the first quarter of this year, the monthly year-on-year sales growth rate of triangular kimbap was 14.4% in January and 12.0% in February. However, in March, when school attendance officially started, demand surged mainly among the 10s and 20s age groups, resulting in a 37.8% increase in sales volume. During the same period, lunchbox sales increased by 17.1%, hamburgers by 18.0%, kimbap by 28.6%, and sandwiches by 22.3%.

In particular, stores located in university and academy areas, where the main consumer base of 10s and 20s is high, saw sales increase the most at 252.7%. This was followed by resorts at 63.9%, parks at 59.8%, one-room apartment areas at 45.6%, and offices at 30.8%.

The major renewal of triangular kimbap, which began earlier this year, also contributed to its popularity. CU uses the finest ingredients, including Saechungmu rice developed by the Jeollanam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services, and increased toppings by up to 50% compared to before.

Recently, an elementary school student living in Gwangmyeong sent a supportive letter praising CU triangular kimbap. The letter included the content: “Among convenience stores, CU is the best. I want to buy CU stocks. Among CU foods, I like triangular kimbap the most. My best chef is CU. I want to eat CU triangular kimbap again. Who and how do they make something this delicious?”

A BGF Retail official said, “This year, through quality improvements tailored to customer expectations, we are opening a new chapter for triangular kimbap, the representative meal of convenience stores. In the COVID-19 era, we will continue to introduce differentiated products with CU’s unique know-how and sincerity so that the value of triangular kimbap, priced at just 1,000 won, is not wasted.”

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