MZ Generation Nostalgia Revival... Convenience Stores Are Now in a 'Bread War'

Industry Collaboration Between Games and Animation
Mania Targeting Effect, Sales Soar

CU Collaborates with Game Cookie Run
Dominates Top 1-5 Sales Rankings
GS25 Partners with MapleStory
Surpasses 1 Million Sales in 18 Days

1990s-2000s Character Bread Popularity
MZ Generation Collecting Random Stickers
Evokes Nostalgia and Sparks Collecting Desire

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] In the late 1990s, character breads like Gukjjini Bread and Finkl Bread, and in the early 2000s, Keroro Bread and One Piece Bread... The memories of the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) include the fun of finding and collecting random stickers inside character breads sold at stores and school cafeterias. To target the heartfelt wish of the MZ generation hoping for their desired Ttibuttib Seal (sticker) before tearing open the bread bag, convenience stores restarted the "bread war" in 2022. Pok?mon Bread made a comeback to convenience stores after about 20 years, and breads collaborating with nostalgic games have appeared, stimulating the MZ generation's desire to collect. Additionally, old-fashioned breads like red bean bread that evoke the atmosphere of those times are also gaining popularity.

Chronology of Iconic Character Breads.

According to the industry on the 7th, CU currently handles about 70 types of bread in its convenience stores. Among them, the popular one is the "Cookie Run Bread," a collaboration with the game Cookie Run. It evokes memories from teenagers who played the Cookie Run game on smartphones to people in their 20s and 30s. CU's Cookie Run collaboration Season 1 products swept all the top five spots in CU's bread sales upon release. In fact, Cookie Run Bread became a key product that boosted sales. In June alone, CU's bread category sales grew by 72.1% compared to the previous year.

GS25, which offers about 150 types of bread, recently launched MapleStory Bread in collaboration with the game MapleStory. The five types of MapleStory Bread introduced from June 17 surpassed 1 million units sold within just 18 days of release, causing sold-out situations similar to Pok?mon Bread in stores. During the same period, MapleStory Bread increased GS25's bread product sales by 64% compared to the previous month. GS25's overall bread sales in June grew by 47.8%. Choi Wonpil, GS25's bread product planner (MD) who planned MapleStory Bread, said, "It's so popular that even I couldn't get Maple Bread," adding, "The main purpose when planning was to give customers fun. After considering various options, I thought MapleStory's cute and charming image would go well with bread."

The customer is looking for a sticker after purchasing CU's Cookie Run bread.

7-Eleven introduced bread with Ttibuseal included under its private brand (PB) "Bredaum." Through collaboration with the drama "Twenty-Five Twenty-One," they offered castella and cream bread. In the drama, the main character Na Hee-do eating bread and searching for Ttibuseal made Bredaum bread popularly known as "Heedo Bread," gaining tremendous popularity. In June, 7-Eleven's bread sales doubled compared to the previous year.

Emart24 joined the retro trend. Partnering with the famous bakery in Daegu, "Geundae Golmok Danpat Bread," which specializes in old-fashioned bread, they introduced four types of the Geundae Golmok series mainly using red bean paste. Emart24's retro-focused Geundae Golmok Bread also drove sales. In fact, Emart24's bread sales in June increased by 63% compared to the same period last year.

This success is because it stimulated the nostalgia of the MZ generation with purchasing power, triggering their desire to collect. At the time, Gukjjini Bread, which first sparked the Ttibuseal craze, sold 600,000 to 700,000 units daily and recorded annual sales of 21 billion KRW. Even amid the recent convenience store bread craze, a new "flex" group has emerged that focuses solely on collecting stickers, saying "I only keep the stickers and throw away the bread because I can't eat it all."

Convenience stores are focusing on so-called "Otaku-nomics," targeting enthusiasts like in the recent bread war. They release collaboration products related to comics, games, and animations to stimulate enthusiasts' desire to collect, leading to consumption. In fact, CU collaborated with the comic One Piece to release character Odtoki candy, and GS25 launched Pok?mon and Jjanggu keyring jelly. For Pok?mon keyring jelly, 200,000 out of the initial 300,000 units stocked on June 30 were already sold. 7-Eleven partnered with Pok?mon and Sanrio characters to release keyring products. All three companies enjoyed significant effects in targeting enthusiasts, with related category sales rising due to collaboration products.

An industry insider said, "Among the MZ generation, many 'kidults' enjoy consumption experiences that evoke fun and nostalgia through unique collaborations," adding, "It also helps with brand differentiation and image building, so this type of consumer targeting will continue."

Experts see that behind this consumption craze lies the MZ generation's longing for their childhood and a desire for comfort. Professor Lee Eunhee of Inha University's Department of Consumer Studies said in a phone interview, "The nostalgia of the MZ generation for what they ate and collected as children greatly influenced the consumption craze," but also analyzed, "Repeating childhood consumption patterns means there is a fundamental desire to escape the current reality and seek comfort."