[Convenience Store Empire] Restaurants, Pharmacies, Banks During Holidays... A Sanctuary for Single-Person Households

⑦Seol·Chuseok Holiday All-in-One Platform

Various Holiday Ready Meals Released
Pharmaceutical Stock Secured and ATM Inspected
In-House Delivery Available Anytime

Convenience stores have established themselves as a sanctuary for single-person households spending Lunar New Year and Chuseok alone. This is because they substitute the roles of restaurants, pharmacies, banks, and courier services that close or do not provide services during the holidays. This year as well, each company has introduced holiday convenience meals, secured stocks of over-the-counter medicines, and completed inspections of ATMs.

According to CU on the 17th, the year-on-year sales growth rate of lunchboxes during the holiday periods over the past three years has steadily increased, with 12.6% in 2020, 15% in 2021, and 13.4% in 2022. Especially, looking at last year's Chuseok sales data, sales were high in areas with a high proportion of single-person households such as university districts, office areas, and officetels. At GS25, lunchbox sales during last year's Lunar New Year and Chuseok increased by 17.2% and 25.8% respectively compared to the previous year, while at 7-Eleven, they rose by 70% and 50%. At Emart24, lunchbox sales during the Lunar New Year holidays jumped 25% in 2020, 9% in 2021, and 32% in 2022.

Convenience stores are releasing various convenience foods for the holiday season. CU introduced the Beef Bulgogi Tteokguk Full Meal Lunchbox and Real Whole Meat Tteokguk for this year's Lunar New Year. The lunchbox contains tteokguk soup made with beef bone broth, along with representative holiday dishes such as beef bulgogi, japchae, jeon (Korean pancakes), and namul (seasoned vegetables). The tteokguk uses pork bone sauce for the broth and is topped with whole pieces of pork to enhance flavor and texture. GS25’s Five-Color Korean Set Lunchbox includes holiday staple dishes such as tteok-mandu guk (rice cake and dumpling soup), black rice, neobiani (grilled marinated beef), omisanjeok (five-flavored skewered meat), meat patties, and namul. Emart24 sells a Lunar New Year feast lunchbox featuring deep beef bone broth tteok-mandu guk, assorted jeon, beef bulgogi, japchae, and three-colored namul.

Discount events are also held to help customers enjoy a bountiful Lunar New Year holiday. CU offers a 30% discount on five popular lunchboxes, including Baek Jong-won's Double Meat Set, Hepssal Gadeuk Bansang (a rice meal with freshly harvested rice), and Spicy Tofu Stew Set, when paid with event cards from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. this month. GS25 runs a promotion from the 19th for three days, offering a 30% discount to customers who pre-order the Five-Color Korean Set Lunchbox through the Our Neighborhood GS app. 7-Eleven holds a 30% on-the-spot discount event on the top three lunchboxes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays this month when purchased with event cards, and Emart24 offers a 50% discount when purchasing two or more of the four meal kits of the month.

They have also sufficiently stocked fever reducers, digestive aids, cold medicine, and other essentials to replace neighborhood pharmacies. CU reported that sales of over-the-counter medicines increased by 25.6% and 63.1% during last year's Lunar New Year and Chuseok respectively compared to the previous year. GS25 saw increases of 25.6% and 63.1%, 7-Eleven recorded 25% and 80%, and Emart24 experienced growth of 50% and 14%. For those needing financial services, ATM inspections were completed in advance. CU saw ATM usage increase by 17.3% and 15% during last year's Lunar New Year and Chuseok, GS25 by 108.8% and 97.4%, and 7-Eleven by 15% and 50%.

Convenience store courier services remain available during the holiday period, making them popular. This service allows customers to send and pick up parcels directly at convenience stores, with prices about half that of regular courier services, ranging from 1,600 to 2,400 won. CU’s "CU Kkiri" courier service usage during last year's Chuseok increased by 108.2% compared to the previous year, and GS25’s half-price courier service rose by 189.4% and 189.1% during Lunar New Year and Chuseok respectively. CU Kkiri courier accepts packages every day including Sundays and holidays, and GS25’s half-price courier service operates 365 days a year without breaks.

An industry official said, "In preparation for the holidays, we have completed not only the role of restaurants but also the stocking of essential medicines and ATM inspections in advance," adding, "We plan to flawlessly perform our social function as a platform for emergency relief and urgent financial services in local communities even during the holidays."