As 'Jipkokjok' Increase, Popcorn Sales Rise... Convenience Stores Launch Large-Size Products

CU, Popcorn Sales Increase by 65.6%... Seven Eleven Up 22.6%

Consomm?-flavored large sack popcorn sold at CU.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Recently, due to the impact of COVID-19, the number of people watching movies or dramas at home has increased, leading to a significant rise in popcorn sales at convenience stores.

According to the industry on the 31st, CU's popcorn sales in the first half of this year increased by 65.6% compared to the same period last year. At 7-Eleven, popcorn sales from the 12th to the 23rd increased by 22.6% compared to the same period last year. In particular, sales at stores in residential areas surged by 60.5%, and by time of day, sales from 6 PM to midnight jumped by 76.4%.

Convenience stores have targeted consumers with large-sized popcorn. CU launched a large-sized "Consomm? Flavor Sack Popcorn." This popcorn is 32cm wide, 43cm tall, and 14cm deep, similar in size to a 10kg rice sack, and the content has been greatly increased from the existing 60g to 400g. This product is a special edition and is sold in a limited quantity of 90,000 units.

The Consomm? Flavor Sack Popcorn packaging is also made of thick paper, just like an actual rice sack. It features double stitching on the seams and includes product information and handling precautions, reflecting the rice sack design. To match the large-size concept, it also features a zipper bag for easy storage.

Honey Sleep Popcorn sold at 7-Eleven.

7-Eleven introduced a large-sized "Honey Sleep Popcorn" with a pillow concept. This popcorn is more than five times larger than regular convenience store popcorn and is the largest size in the industry at 500g. The naming and package design were playfully created to match the stay-at-home trend, and it was made to resemble the shape and size of an actual pillow. It is honey butter-flavored popcorn made using domestically produced royal jelly honey and French gourmet butter, characterized by a sweet yet savory taste.

A 7-Eleven representative said, "Due to social distancing, more people are setting up small home theaters and enjoying them, leading to an increase in easily accessible snacks near residential convenience stores. Reflecting this trend, we plan to continuously introduce convenience store-themed movie theater snacks in the future."