[K-Food Hidden Hero] Filling Inside and Removing Dampness, 'Like the Taste of a Specialty Store'

⑧CU Convenience Store Ready-to-Eat Rolled Kimbap and Triangle Kimbap

Triangle Kimbap Toppings Increased by 50%
Rolled Kimbap Enhanced with Double Wrapping for Better Texture
Double-Digit Sales Growth Compared to Last Year
Also Promotes Consumption of Domestic Agricultural Products

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] After holding the top spot in convenience store ready-to-eat meals for several years, triangular gimbap, which had lost its position to lunch boxes, is rising again.

CU launched the ‘Rich-Rich’ project in March to revamp the triangular gimbap, a symbol of convenience store ready-to-eat meals. Based on a survey of about 2,000 people, the Rich-Rich triangular gimbap increased the amount of toppings by 50% compared to the previous version to address the most frequent criticism, and developed and introduced an automatic topping system. As a result, CU’s triangular gimbap sales from March to April increased by 60.5% compared to the previous year. Last year, a triangular gimbap manufacturing video released on the YouTube channel CUtube also went viral in reverse, with subscribers increasing by about 50,000 in just one week.

After the great success of the triangular gimbap, CU has now started upgrading its rolled gimbap. Rolled gimbap accounted for about one-fifth of CU’s ready-to-eat meal sales last year. Although overall ready-to-eat meal sales recorded single-digit growth due to the impact of COVID-19 last year, gimbap sales grew by 13.5%, driving the ready-to-eat meal sales.

At the end of last month, CU renewed its rolled gimbap under the concept of ‘Sure! Gimbap.’ The newly introduced rolled gimbap boasts a professional-level taste by increasing the main fillings by about 2.2 times compared to previous products.

‘Sure! Gimbap’ uses domestically produced Saechungmu rice, increases the amount of fillings by about 2.2 times compared to previous versions, and reduces the moisture content of the fillings by 30% to enhance texture. In particular, it applies a double-wrapping recipe where the fillings are first wrapped in a layer of seaweed, then rice is added, and wrapped again with seaweed, resulting in a high-quality taste without sogginess. The reasonable price compared to professional-level quality is also a factor in its popularity.

Since the launch of Sure! Gimbap, CU’s rolled gimbap sales have rapidly increased. CU’s gimbap sales from May 1 to 17 this year rose by 64.2% compared to the same period last year. Within just one week of its release earlier this month, Sure! Gimbap surpassed 500,000 cumulative sales, setting a new record. Following the success of Rich-Rich triangular gimbap, the consecutive hits of Sure! Gimbap have led CU to consume more than 4,500 tons of Saechungmu rice from January to April this year, significantly promoting the consumption of domestic agricultural products.

Jung Seong-wook, head of BGF Retail’s ready-to-eat food team, said, "Since COVID-19, the number of customers seeking convenience store ready-to-eat meals has steadily increased, prompting comprehensive upgrades. We will continue efforts to improve taste and quality based on our product research center and central kitchen."