CU "French Direct-Import Desserts Launched... Cannel?, Chocolat, Potato Cheese Gratin"

Suez Canal Blockage Delays Release by About 2 Weeks
"Meticulous Reprocessing to Preserve Authentic Local Flavor"
Dessert Sales Increased by 16.4% from January to May This Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Yuri] CU announced on the 31st that it has launched desserts directly imported from France to soothe consumers' disappointment over being unable to travel abroad due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

The French desserts CU started selling this time include Canel? with Vanilla Flavor (3 pieces, 3,000 KRW), Fondant Chocolat (2,500 KRW), and Potato Cheese Gratin (2,500 KRW), totaling three types. CU stated, "By directly sourcing premium overseas desserts and offering them at reasonable prices, we aim to lower customers' purchasing barriers for foreign products during the COVID-19 era and elevate the value of convenience store products to the next level."

These products were scheduled to arrive in Busan last April after departing from France and passing through the Netherlands, Egypt, and Singapore. However, transportation was delayed by about two weeks due to the blockage of the Suez Canal, a major European gateway, caused by the grounding of a large container ship. CU said, "We devoted great care to the reprocessing of the products upon arrival in Korea to preserve their authentic local taste and quality," adding, "Some product packaging also uses PLA, a biodegradable plastic material, considering environmental factors."

'Canel? with Vanilla Flavor' is a traditional French pastry with a caramelized, hard, and thick exterior and a soft, moist interior. The canel? offered by CU is produced by Aquitaine Specialites, a French dessert specialty manufacturer. It is made in Bordeaux, the birthplace of canel?.

'Fondant Chocolat' offers a brownie-like dense texture when eaten cold, and when heated, the chocolate melts and provides a sweet flavor. 'Potato Cheese Gratin' is a meal-replacement dessert made with thinly sliced potatoes, milk, cream, Emmental cheese, and egg yolks. Both Fondant Chocolat and Potato Cheese Gratin are products from Traiteur de Paris, a supplier of Air France in-flight meal desserts.

Previously, CU gained popularity by launching macarons, one of France's representative desserts, as convenience store products. In 2019, CU introduced macarons, which were difficult to mass-produce, in collaboration with small and medium manufacturers, ranking third in overall product sales at CU and achieving great success. The cumulative sales volume has reached 9 million units so far. CU's dessert sales growth rate has recorded double digits annually, with 23.1% in 2019 and 15.1% in 2020. This year (January to May), it stands at about 16.4%.

Seungwook Jeong, head of the Snack Food Team at BGF Retail, said, "We prepared to allow customers to enjoy authentic French desserts in Korea, meeting their heightened expectations for desserts," adding, "We will continue to actively introduce high-quality products from around the world to Korea so that customers can embark on a gourmet journey through CU without having to travel abroad."

Meanwhile, CU is offering coupons for the three French desserts at a 50% discount to up to 10,000 people through an instant roulette event on its membership application, Pocket CU.

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