'Heavy Rain vs Heatwave' Extreme Weather... Convenience Store Sales Have Changed

Central Region Sees Surge in Flour and Makgeolli Sales, Southern Region Experiences Spike in Ice Sales

A customer is purchasing products at the convenience store CU.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chunhan] In the central region, which recently experienced heavy rainstorms, food items such as flour and Makgeolli sold well, while in the southern region, where the scorching heat continued, cold products like cup ice and ice cream were popular.

According to CU on the 20th, from the 8th to the 13th of this month, sales of flour and pancake mix in the central region increased by 120.7% compared to the previous week, and Makgeolli sales also rose by 38.4%. As more people’s shoes and clothes got wet, sales of socks and underwear increased significantly by 52.9% and 39.7%, respectively, unlike usual. Umbrellas and raincoats also showed steep growth rates of 227.3% and 249.7%, respectively. On the other hand, in the southern region where the daytime high temperature approached 34 degrees Celsius amid the ongoing heatwave, sales of cold products stood out. Representative summer items such as cup ice, iced drinks, and ice cream recorded high sales growth rates of 28.8%, 27.7%, and 18.8%, respectively.

Similar trends were observed at GS25. According to GS25, from the 8th to the 11th of this month, sales of ready meals, ramen, and Makgeolli increased by 43.9%, 40.2%, and 42.1%, respectively, compared to the same period last month. Sales of slippers (689%), towels (514%), umbrellas (368%), and raincoats (247%) also rose significantly. Conversely, in the southern region where the heatwave continued, sales of ice cups, frozen desserts, and sun care products increased by 67.7%, 51.1%, and 129%, respectively.

An official from the convenience store industry said, “Convenience stores located all across the country are consumer channels that respond immediately and sensitively to consumption trends according to the weather,” adding, “We will help customer convenience and promote store sales activation by offering customized product assortments and business operations according to regional weather conditions.”

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