CU-Matnam Square, Launch of Guryongpo Gwamegi Ssambap

Guryongpo Gwamegi + Ssam Vegetables + Chogochujang + Dried Seaweed... Gwamegi Ssam Set
CU Refrigerated Side Dishes Growth: 51.1% in 2018, 15.7% in 2019, 17.6% in 2020

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] CU announced on the 24th that it is collaborating with the entertainment program 'Delicious Rendezvous' to launch the fourth new menu item in the project to open sales channels for Korean farmers and fishermen: 'Guryongpo Gwamegi Ssambap (8,900 KRW)'.

Pohang is a representative production area of gwamegi, accounting for 95% of Korea's gwamegi production. Recently, festivals and gatherings have been canceled, causing a loss of peak sales periods. This year, the catch volume of mackerel pike has decreased to half compared to 10 years ago.

Accordingly, the price of mackerel pike has more than doubled compared to a year ago, but fishermen have been reluctant to raise the price of gwamegi due to decreased consumption, continuing sales with minimal profit margins.

CU stated that CEO Baek Jong-won suggested commercializing gwamegi as a ssam (wrap), which is the most common way to enjoy gwamegi and can be easily accepted even by first-time consumers.

The Guryongpo Gwamegi Ssambap is designed to enjoy gwamegi with various ssam vegetables. It includes fresh vegetables such as napa cabbage, lettuce, perilla leaves, chili peppers, garlic, along with cho-gochujang (spicy dipping sauce) and dried seaweed, so no separate ingredient purchase is necessary. The gwamegi is cut into bite-sized pieces for convenience, and the contents are about two fish portions (approximately 50g), making it easy for single-person drinkers ('honsuljok') to enjoy without burden.

As 'honsul' (drinking alone) becomes a mainstream social trend, CU's seafood snack category is also growing. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic narrowing daily activity ranges, more people are purchasing single-serving seafood snacks at nearby convenience stores. CU's refrigerated snack category sales growth rates were 51.1% in 2018, 15.7% in 2019, and 17.6% in 2020, showing double-digit growth every year. The four types of aged seafood snacks (fermented skate, octopus sashimi, gwamegi, eel) launched by CU last year targeting honsuljok in their 40s and 50s gained great popularity, surpassing 200,000 cumulative sales and driving growth in the seafood snack category.

Bong Sua, MD of the Product Development Team at BGF Retail, said, "The collaboration products with Delicious Rendezvous, which help customers make good consumption choices with excellent quality and reasonable prices, have gained great popularity, so we planned them as refrigerated snacks as well," adding, "CU will continue to introduce high-quality products across various categories."