"Lunch Prices Are Too Expensive" ... Office Workers Looking for Dosirak

Emart24, Office District Sales Up 68%
Hansot Dosirak, Chicken Mayo 'Popular'

A customer is purchasing a lunchbox at the convenience store Emart24.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Lee, an office worker in Yeouido, Seoul, heads to a convenience store every lunchtime. Even buying a bowl of naengmyeon (cold noodles) feels burdensome at the price of 16,000 won. He lamented, "These days, I'm almost scared to go to restaurants," adding, "It feels like everything except my salary has gone up."

Recently, as the phenomenon of lunchflation (a combination of lunch and inflation) intensifies, the number of people seeking relatively affordable lunch boxes and ready-to-eat meals has increased.

According to Emart24 on the 31st, from the 1st of last month to the 26th of this month, sales of lunch boxes and prepared bread increased by 48% and 39%, respectively, compared to the same period last year. By commercial district, lunch box sales increased the most in office districts (68%), followed by single-person residential areas (54%) and academy districts (42%). Prepared bread sales also showed a similar trend, with office districts (52%), academy districts (41%), and single-person residential areas (34%) in that order.

Emart24 is expanding its food product lineup to provide tastier meal options. On the 27th, they launched the ‘Umihak Cheese Jjuk Kkakdugi Bokkeum Sotbap,’ inspired by Umihak brand’s signature dish, kkakdugi fried rice, and also introduced the ‘Staff Crispy Onion Hot Dog’ and ‘Staff Spicy Shredded Cheese Hot Dog.’

Hansot Dosirak is also popular among office workers. According to Hansot Dosirak, lunch hour (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) sales in office districts last month increased by 23% compared to the same period last year. Overall sales last month rose about 15% year-on-year.

Among the products, the ‘Chicken Mayo’ lunch box, one of Hansot Dosirak’s signature menus, sold the most. It was followed by the ‘Jindallae,’ ‘Donkatsu Doryeonnim,’ and ‘Dongbaek’ lunch boxes. Chicken Mayo is a steady seller boasting sales of 15 million units, thanks to its high cost-effectiveness at around 3,000 won. The Jindallae, Donkatsu Doryeonnim, and Dongbaek lunch boxes include rice and various side dishes, making them popular lunch choices for office workers seeking a hearty meal.

A Hansot Dosirak representative said, “With forecasts indicating that food prices will continue to rise in the second half of the year, we expect more consumers to seek lunch boxes during lunchtime.”