CU, Cup Ice Daily Sales Surpass 1 Million... "Sold More Than During the 2018 Heatwave"

A male customer is holding a cup of ice at the CU BGF Building Branch located in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Amid the ongoing sweltering heat, convenience store cup ice sales have reached an all-time high.

According to CU on the 21st, ice sales from the 14th to the 20th increased by about 1.5 times compared to the same period last year. In particular, on the 17th, when the highest temperature exceeded 37 degrees Celsius, more than 1 million cup ice units were sold nationwide, setting a new record for the highest daily sales.

The amount of ice consumed at one time has also increased. The ‘Venti Cup Ice,’ a super-large capacity cup ice launched by CU last March, had maintained about a 10% share of total cup ice sales but rose to 21.4% this week.

Sales of iced Americanos also increased. Among customers who purchased CU’s instant roasted coffee GET Coffee in the past week, 9 out of 10 were ‘Aia-jok’ (iced Americano drinkers). This contrasts with about 30% of customers seeking hot Americanos during the same period last year.

A BGF Retail official said, “Ice sales exceeding those of the record-breaking heatwave in August 2018 have been occurring since mid-July,” adding, “We are thoroughly checking the supply system for heat-related products such as ice, beverages, and ice cream to help customers stay healthy during the heat.”

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