Korea Expressway Corporation Offers Discount on Popular Snacks During Chuseok Holiday
Walnut Pastry, Tteokkochi, Hot Dog, Fish Cake Bar, and More Included
As high inflation continues, the prices of food at highway rest stops have sharply increased, prompting Korea Expressway Corporation to offer discounts on popular snacks at rest stops during the Chuseok holiday.
According to Korea Expressway Corporation on the 28th, from the previous day, 184 rest stops nationwide on highways are selling popular snacks at discounted prices ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 won. The items on sale include walnut cookies, tteok-kkochi (so-tteok so-tteok), hot dogs, and fish cake bars.
Bundle snack packages that allow customers to enjoy a variety of snacks will also be discounted by up to 33%.
Previously, criticism arose that the price of food at highway rest stops nationwide exceeded 4,000 won per item, which was considered excessively expensive even when accounting for inflation rates.
In fact, the price of food at highway rest stops has risen by more than 11% over the past two years. According to data submitted by Korea Expressway Corporation to Cho Oh-seop, a member of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, the average selling price of the top 10 best-selling rest stop foods was 6,304 won as of last month, up 11.2% (634 won) compared to the same period in 2021.
The food item with the highest price increase was tteok-kkochi. The price of tteok-kkochi rose from 3,550 won to 4,208 won, an 18.5% increase. Following were ▲hot dogs 16.8% (3,804 won → 4,443 won) ▲pork cutlet 14.9% (8,984 won → 10,319 won) ▲udon 11.4% (5,884 won → 6,553 won) ▲walnut cookies 11.1% (4,391 won → 4,877 won) ▲bibimbap 10.5% (8,504 won → 9,397 won).
Other items also saw price increases in the following order: ▲ramen 9.9% (4,467 won → 4,911 won) ▲americano 9.6% (4,066 won → 4,458 won) ▲gukbap (soup with rice) 8.1% (8,281 won → 8,953 won) ▲cafe latte 3.1% (4,771 won → 4,918 won).
There is also data showing that during the holiday period, individuals spend about 15,000 won on snacks at highway rest stops.
According to an analysis by KB Kookmin Card of the amount and number of transactions made by its customers at rest stops during this year’s Lunar New Year holiday (January 21?24), customers made an average of 1.7 transactions per person and spent 15,141 won on average. During the holiday period, sales at rest stops increased most significantly on the first day of the holiday and on the holiday itself. On January 21, the first day of this year’s Lunar New Year holiday, sales rose 188% compared to the average daily sales of the previous two weeks; on January 22, the holiday itself, sales increased by 233%; and on January 23, sales rose 188%. The age groups with the highest increase in spending at rest stops during the holiday were people in their 40s, followed by those in their 30s and 50s.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
