"Try Hangang Ramen" Foreign Tourists' Hotspot CU Hongdae Sangsang Store

Foreigners Account for 62% of Ramen Sales
Domestic Sales Far Below at 38%
Instant Ramen Cookers and More Drive Popularity

CU, a convenience store operated by BGF Retail, launched a ramen specialty store called 'Ramen Library' at Hongdae in Mapo-gu, Seoul, last December, which is gaining great popularity among foreign tourists.

CU announced on the 4th that an analysis of sales at the library, which features over 230 popular domestic and international ramen varieties, showed that foreign customers accounted for 62% of total ramen sales, surpassing domestic sales at 38%. The store is equipped with a large dedicated ramen display, cup ramen sample stands, and instant cooking appliances.

Although the total number of domestic customers was higher, it was analyzed that many foreign customers purchase additional ramen as souvenirs after dining in the store. The average number of ramen purchased per foreign customer was 3.4, compared to 1.2 for domestic customers.

Over the past month, a total of about 15,000 ramen packs were sold at the CU Ramen Library. The average daily ramen sales reached approximately 500 units, which is more than 10 times higher than sales at regular stores.

At the library, sales of bagged ramen even surpassed those of cup ramen. While regular stores have a sales composition ratio of 78% cup ramen to 22% bagged ramen, the Ramen Library recorded 72.3% bagged ramen and 27.7% cup ramen.

The fact that foreigners can cook and eat the Han River ramen they saw in K-content such as movies, variety shows, and dramas using the instant cooking appliances installed in the store influenced this trend. The average number of customers using the instant ramen cooker daily is about 160. The highest-selling ramen at the Ramen Library was Budae Jjigae ramen, followed by Sesame ramen, Cream Jin Jjambbong, Spicy Jang Kalguksu, and Jin Jjambbong. Customers purchasing ramen also showed a high accompanying purchase rate of 82% for other products such as triangle kimbap, convenience foods, beverages, hot bars, and desserts.

To further enhance convenience for foreign customers, CU has additionally attached guides explaining product prices, features, and spice levels in English, Japanese, and Chinese, and plans to expand instant cooking appliances along with product diversification in the future.

Hwang Ji-seon, head of the processed foods team at BGF Retail, said, “The response to the Ramen Library’s visitors and sales has been hotter than expected, and we are actively considering opening a second store.” She added, “As a leading convenience store in Korea, CU will continue to expand next-generation landmark convenience stores that provide new shopping experiences to both domestic and international customers.”

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