Sought Convenience Store During Heavy Rain... GS25 Sees 40% Increase in Ready Meals and Makgeolli Sales

Waterproof Packs, Slippers, Towels, and More Selling Well

A customer is purchasing slippers at the convenience store GS25.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Recently, sales of ready-to-eat meals, alcoholic beverages, slippers, and waterproof pouches surged at convenience stores in the central region, including Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon, following heavy rainfall.

According to GS25 on the 15th, from the 8th to the 11th, sales of ready-to-eat meals, ramen, and Makgeolli increased by 43.9%, 40.2%, and 42.1%, respectively, compared to the same period last month. As purchases to protect electronic devices such as mobile phones from rain surged, sales of waterproof pouches rose by 501%.

Sales of slippers (689%), towels (514%), umbrellas (368%), and raincoats (247%) also increased significantly. It is analyzed that many purchases were made to replace wet shoes or to dry the body during the heavy rain.

On the other hand, at convenience stores in the southern region such as Jeju Island, where the heatwave continued, sales of ice cups, frozen desserts, and sunscreen products increased by 67.7%, 51.1%, and 129%, respectively.

A GS25 official said, “As the heavy rain continued, it was confirmed that the number of customers visiting nearby convenience stores to purchase food or emergency supplies greatly increased,” adding, “We plan to faithfully fulfill the role of convenience stores as multi-purpose platforms by actively strengthening a variety of product assortments considering climate change.”