Cooling Patch Sales Up 900%, Portable Fans Up 500% Year-on-Year
Soaring Demand for Non-Food Items Like Ice and Ice Cream
Due to record-breaking heat waves, summer survival items are flying off the shelves at convenience stores. Not only are classic summer products like ice and ice cream in high demand, but sales of non-food items such as portable fans, cooling patches, and sunscreen have also surged.
According to the convenience store industry on July 14, sales of non-food items related to the heat wave skyrocketed at major convenience stores between July 1 and July 10. At 7-Eleven, sales of cooling patches jumped by 900% year-on-year, marking the largest increase, while portable fans rose by over 500%. During the same period, sales of summer clothing such as T-shirts and sleeveless tops increased by 270%. Cooling items (such as cooling sleeves, towels, and scarves) rose by 40%, and seasonal cosmetics (such as sunscreen and deodorant) increased by 80%.
This growth rate surpasses that of traditional summer staples like ice cups (30%), bottled water (30%), and ice cream (25%).
At GS25, a convenience store operated by GS Retail, sales of arm sleeves increased by 88.3%, sunscreen by 100.7%, and deodorant by 66.9% during the same period. These growth rates far exceeded those of ice cups (51.8%), sports drinks (52.9%), and ice cream (47.8%). At CU, a convenience store operated by BGF Retail, sales of clothing items grew by 36.7%, and small home appliances rose by 39.0%.
Due to the earlier-than-usual heat wave, not only have sales of classic summer items like ice and beverages increased, but more people are also purchasing items to beat the heat at easily accessible convenience stores. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the nationwide average number of heat wave days from July 1 to July 13 was 6.8 days, surpassing the July 2024 record of 4.3 days. A heat wave is defined as a day with a maximum temperature of 33 degrees Celsius or higher.
This suggests that the strategy of convenience stores to significantly strengthen their non-food product lines early in preparation for this year's heat has paid off. Recently, convenience stores have expanded their product categories into non-food areas such as fashion and beauty to overcome market saturation.
Since the beginning of this year, GS25 has collaborated with the fashion platform Musinsa to launch the "Musinsa Standard Express" summer season collection (including T-shirts and banding shorts), and is selling exclusive beauty brands like "Littlely Witch" at affordable prices. CU has strengthened its beauty product lineup by partnering with VT Cosmetics and Angel Luca, while 7-Eleven has released its own private brand (PB) fashion items, such as the "Seven Select T-shirt" and "Seven Select Color Pop Socks."
As a result, GS25 has seen its fashion sales more than double since the launch of Musinsa Standard Express, and cosmetics sales increased by 53.5% year-on-year in the two months following the introduction of beauty-focused displays. At CU, cosmetics sales from January to May this year rose by 18.1% compared to the same period last year. An industry official said, "With the early and record-breaking heat waves, demand has increased across all summer categories, including alcoholic beverages, ice cream, and cooling items," adding, "We are moving up the launch schedule for related products compared to previous years to respond to the early heat wave."
With the unprecedented heat wave expected to continue throughout this summer, the convenience store industry is targeting consumers' wallets by holding discount events on products with high summer demand. GS25 is running the "Drinking Festa" throughout July, offering discounts on about 300 types of alcoholic beverages, including a 50% discount when purchasing two or more non-alcoholic beers, and selling four 500ml cans of beer (such as 1664 Blanc, Somersby, Heineken, Tiger Lemon) for 9,000 won. CU has also planned large-scale discount events on about 400 types of alcoholic beverages, including wine, Makgeolli, and beer. For beer, they are offering "8 cans for 18,000 won" and "3 large cans for 9,000 won" promotions.
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