Sudden Cold Snap Makes Bungeoppang and Blankets Convenience Store Bestsellers

Sales of winter protection products up 730% amid colder weather than usual
Seasonal convenience stores... "Winter products drive sales"

As sudden cold waves and chilly weather continue, sales of convenience store winter snacks and winter season products have surged. Convenience stores, having prepared products to warm up cold bodies early on, are analyzed to have significantly benefited from the sales increase.

GS25 GS Tower branch has a winter snack corner featuring bungeoppang, roasted sweet potatoes, and fish cakes.
[Photo by Minji Lee]

According to GS25 on the 14th, sales of cold-weather items such as earmuffs, blankets, and gloves grew by 730% compared to the same period last year during the week from the 6th to the 12th of this month. Sales of hot packs and tights also increased by 204% and 55%, respectively. As the coldest weather of this fall continued and temperatures dropped sharply compared to this time of year in previous years, demand for winter products greatly increased. During the same period, CU also recorded significant sales growth of hot packs (288%) and cold-weather items (27%).

The number of consumers seeking warm winter snacks such as hot fish cake, roasted sweet potatoes, and Bungeoppang also increased significantly. Convenience stores began selling winter snacks from the 1st of last month, but sales did not increase much as the weather remained warm enough to wear half-sleeve clothing until early November. However, with the sudden temperature drop last week, demand for enjoying winter snacks at convenience stores exploded. Seven Eleven reported that fish cake sales surged by 70% compared to two weeks earlier (October 23?29), and steamed bun sales grew by about 50%. At Emart24, steamed bun sales increased by approximately 43%, while sales of heated beverages (67%) and I-Press instant coffee (46%) also rose.

Typically, convenience store sales are sensitive to weather, and sales tend to decline as winter approaches compared to other seasons. This is because people go out less, and demand to quench thirst by entering convenience stores decreases, similar to the sweltering summer. In this situation, winter snacks and cold-weather products serve as key products supporting convenience store sales. In fact, GS25’s “Delicious Bungeoppang to the Tail,” first launched in mid-September, ranked first in sales among about 80 types of instant cooked foods in October, establishing itself as a popular product among consumers. GS25’s Bungeoppang sales increased by 23% compared to two weeks earlier.

An industry insider from a convenience store said, "It seems that many people sought warm products due to the sudden cold weather last week," adding, "Convenience stores are diversifying their winter product lineups to defend against decreases in beverage sales as the weather gets colder." Convenience stores plan to further strengthen their winter product lineups ahead of the full winter season. CU will start selling instant Bungeoppang from the 15th, launching two mini-sized varieties: red bean paste and custard cream. Seven Eleven introduced two heated beverages, honey water and Ssanghwa tea, in collaboration with the traditional tea brand ‘Ogada’ starting from the 13th.

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