With Lunchflation Deepening... Emart Sees Soaring Sales of Sandwiches and Gimbap

Ready Meal Sales Increase by 25%

Ready-to-eat meals are being sold at Emart Seongsu branch in Seongdong-gu, Seoul.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] As the phenomenon of lunchflation (a combination of lunch and inflation) intensifies recently, ready-to-eat meal products are gaining great popularity in large supermarkets.

According to Emart on the 3rd, sales of ready-to-eat meals such as sandwiches, salads, and gimbap from January to July this year increased by 25% compared to the same period last year. Last year, due to social distancing making dining out difficult, there was high demand for dinner and late-night menus such as sushi and anju (side dishes for alcohol), but this year, due to rising dining-out prices, more people are seeking affordable and simple ready-to-eat meals to have a quick meal.

In fact, the number of customers purchasing Emart Kitchen Deli products during lunchtime from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. increased by 20% compared to last year, and sales also rose by 30%. Emart’s sandwiches and salads receive good responses by using diverse and abundant ingredients despite their affordable prices of 4,000 to 5,000 won. This year, sandwich sales jumped 30%, and salad sales soared 95%.

As demand for Kitchen Deli products continues to grow, Emart is striving to enhance product competitiveness while maintaining reasonable prices. For example, they select one signature product each month to focus on taste and quality management. As a result, signature products such as Yangjangpi, Sushi Black Sushi (premium sushi), and Garlic Tteokgalbi saw sales increase by up to 40% compared to the previous year in the respective months.

An Emart official said, “As food prices continue to rise this year, more customers are looking for cost-effective ready-to-eat meals that can offset lunch expenses,” adding, “Due to COVID-19 and rising prices, demand for cost-effective deli foods continues to increase, and we are making efforts to offer various products that suit customers’ tastes.”

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