CU, Yeonse Cream Bread Sold Out at Each Store
Sales 2.6 Times Higher Than Pokemon Desserts
GS25 Sells 50,000 Maple Breads in Japan
Order Limit Up to 5 per Type
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Recently, convenience store bread has been creating a sensation following the Pok?mon bread craze. Private brand (PB) and collaboration products aiming for bakery-level quality have gained huge popularity, even leading to sold-out situations.
According to CU on the 24th, total bread sales from the 1st to the 21st of this month increased by 115.9% compared to the previous year. During the same period, GS25 saw a 46.6% increase, Seven Eleven 100%, and Emart24 65% growth in bread sales. This surge was driven by hit products surpassing Pok?mon bread at each company.
Looking at the convenience store bread sales rankings, PB and collaboration products occupy the top spots. At CU, the 1st to 3rd places were taken by Yonsei Milk Fresh Cream Bread, Chocolate Fresh Cream Bread, and Sweet Red Bean Fresh Cream Bread, while 4th and 5th places were Pok?mon Pikachu Cake and Pok?mon Ang Butter Sandwich. The Yonsei Cream Bread series shows sales 2.6 times higher than the Pok?mon dessert series. Yonsei Cream Bread features a generous filling with fresh cream making up about 80% of the total weight, and the bread itself is characterized by a chewy and moist texture. On social media, half-cut shots (photos showing the inside of the product by cutting it in half) have spread, generating word of mouth and causing sold-out situations at stores.
At GS25, the initial stock of 100,000 Maple Breads sold out on the first day of release, the 17th, and from the 18th, the maximum daily order quantity of 50,000 has also been completely sold. Maple Bread includes stickers of popular characters from MapleStory, a popular online game released by Nexon in 2003, evoking nostalgia among gamers. Currently, production cannot keep up with orders, so customers are limited to ordering up to five pieces, one of each type. At GS25, Maple Bread ranks 2nd to 4th following the return of the Rocket Dan Choco Roll.
At Seven Eleven, products like Breadaum So Sweet Castella, Sweet Cream Bread, and Butter Cream Angmos are popular. At Emart24, the Geundae Alley Bread series ranks 1st to 4th within the premium bread category. A convenience store industry insider said, "As the trend of seeking out local bakery hotspots continues mainly among the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z), more customers are looking for delicious bread at convenience stores. We plan to continuously expand product lines that offer bakery-level taste and quality."
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