"Sold Out in 9 Minutes" and Open Run... The Worldwide Hit "Dubai Chocolate"

CU, 200,000 Dubai-Style Chocolates Sold Out Same Day
Some Stores Experience 'Open Run' Phenomenon
GS25 Also Sells All 20,000 Reserved Units in 9 Minutes
Convenience Store Industry Plans Similar Concept Product Launches

"I flew all the way to Dubai just to eat this."

A video uploaded last month by a YouTube creator with over 4 million subscribers. This creator flew directly to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to get a chocolate that can only be bought in Dubai. However, even in Dubai, it was not easy to get the chocolate. It was sold online in limited quantities at a set time every day. The creator, who completed the payment within one minute of the sale start and obtained the product, praised the unique taste and texture of the Dubai chocolate, repeatedly saying it was delicious.

The globally trending "Dubai chocolate" is also causing a sensation in Korea. In some convenience stores, Dubai chocolate products sold out in just 9 minutes.

Dubai-style chocolate sold by CU.
[Photo by BGF Retail]

According to the distribution industry on the 8th, CU, a convenience store operated by BGF Retail, sold out all 200,000 initial units of "Dubai Style Chocolate" released on the 6th in just one day. This product became popular as it became an issue in online communities, leading to numerous purchase inquiries at CU customer centers and stores. On the actual release day, the 6th, many stores experienced "open run" phenomena, where customers lined up to buy Dubai chocolate, and CU's own application (app) experienced access delays due to the surge in users.

Chocolate Produced by Dubai Company Gains Attention... Purchased via Delivery Apps

"Dubai chocolate" is a product made by the chocolate manufacturer "Fix Dessert Chocolatier" located in Dubai, containing pistachios and Turkish Kadaif spread. Kadaif is a type of noodle enjoyed in the Middle East, characterized by its thin strands. According to the Agricultural and Fishery Food Export Information operated by the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), this product, launched in 2021, can only be purchased through delivery apps without offline malls or an official website. Instagram is the only promotional channel.

However, by conducting specialized marketing targeting the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) through social networking services (SNS), it quickly became famous worldwide. The colorful packaging with paint splatter-like product design, as well as the chocolate form, perfectly matched short-form videos. Especially, collaborating with SNS influencers to spread content and sharing consumer reviews in Instagram story highlights helped capture the tastes of the MZ generation.

A famous influencer in the UAE, Maria Behara, posted a video of herself eating the chocolate on her SNS, which recorded over 60 million views.

However, since the manufacturer is only Fix Dessert Chocolatier, the product is currently so scarce that it is difficult to find even locally in Dubai.

Influencer Maria Behara from the United Arab Emirates uploaded a Dubai chocolate tasting video on the short-form content platform 'TikTok.' This video has surpassed 60 million views.
[Photo by TikTok]

7-Eleven's Dubai Kadaif Chocolate.
Photo by Korea Seven

Convenience Store Industry Collaborates with SMEs to Sell Domestic Dubai Chocolate

Therefore, instead of importing the product from Dubai, CU chose to develop the product in collaboration with domestic small and medium-sized enterprises. This product uses Korean-style dried noodles and pistachio powder instead of the hard-to-source Kadaif noodles. CU plans to restock Dubai style chocolate every Wednesday and Saturday.

Not only CU, but other convenience store chains have also started pre-orders for Dubai chocolate. GS25, a convenience store operated by GS Retail, began pre-orders for Dubai chocolate on the 5th through its own commerce app "Our Neighborhood GS." This product, manufactured by a domestic company, actually uses Kadaif spread. GS25 offered this product in sets of four for 27,200 KRW, a relatively high price, but all 5,000 sets sold out within 9 minutes. In terms of individual units, 20,000 chocolates were sold out in less than 10 minutes. The pre-ordered products can be picked up starting early next month.

Seven Eleven is also planning to officially launch Dubai chocolate at the end of this month and will conduct pre-orders on the 9th. The product released by Seven Eleven is the same as GS25's, but the quantity is limited to 1,200 units. Considering that each person can purchase up to 4 products, this means products for about 300 people are prepared. Given the precedent of GS25's pre-order where 20,000 units sold out in 9 minutes, the stock depletion speed is expected to be even faster.

As domestic Dubai chocolate also faces scarcity, it is being traded at a premium on secondhand trading platforms. The retail price of CU's Dubai style chocolate is 4,000 KRW, but on secondhand platforms, it is sold at an average price exceeding 6,000 KRW per piece.

Because of this, the convenience store industry is also considering launching private brand (PB) products. Currently, the Dubai style chocolate products sold at three convenience stores are manufacturer brand (NB) products made by domestic SMEs. GS25 is internally discussing a PB product using Kadaif noodles, and CU will release a similar concept product called "Neighbor Tongtong's Dubai-style Choco Cookie" on the 17th. This product uses Kadaif noodles and pistachios, the main ingredients of Dubai chocolate.