CU Introduces Large Strawberry Sandwich
Collaboration with Chef Kwon Seongjun for Pistachio Strawberry Sandwich
GS25 Enhances Strawberry Flavor with Fruit MD
7-Eleven Advances Launch Date for Strawberry Sandwich
The domestic convenience store industry is consecutively launching new sandwich convenience foods using strawberries in season. As strawberry sandwiches made with winter strawberries have become steady sellers every year, convenience stores are striving to differentiate their products.
CU, operated by BGF Retail, announced on the 27th that it will introduce a large-sized strawberry sandwich next month and also launch a product in collaboration with Chef Kwon Seong-jun of 'Napoli Mafia,' the winner of the Black and White Chef competition.
CU, Giant Store Strawberry Sandwich
This year’s CU's 'Giant Jumbo Strawberry Sandwich' is the first in the industry to use more than 18g of whole strawberries and boasts a size of 11 cm. Additionally, it includes milk cream containing 10% yucurd and a sweet red bean paste spread on one side to enhance sweetness. CU will conduct a two-week online limited pre-sale through its own app, Pocket CU, starting December 3.
On December 17, CU will also launch the 'Pistachio Strawberry Sandwich (3,900 KRW)' nationwide in collaboration with Chef Kwon Seong-jun. This product features strawberries coated with pistachio cream, with the recipe personally developed by Chef Kwon.
CU expects to use approximately 90 tons of strawberries for strawberry sandwiches this year. With multiple types of strawberry sandwiches planned for release, it is expected to contribute to improving the income of local farmers.
Meanwhile, the strawberry sandwich and planner set product CU released last November in collaboration with the popular KakaoTalk emoticon character Manggeureojin Gom sold out within about 10 seconds daily during the one-day limited reservation period in November. The sandwich alone ranked first in category sales for two months (December to January) after its offline launch.
Ye Dasom, a product planner (MD) of the convenience food team at BGF Retail, said, "Strawberry sandwiches have quietly established themselves as a representative winter convenience store product, with more customers seeking them at nearby stores during the cold season." She added, "CU will continue to introduce differentiated products using high-quality domestic ingredients and practice win-win cooperation with local farmers."
GS25, Limited Sale of 1,000 First-Harvest Strawberry Sandwiches
GS25 is launching a strawberry sandwich with enhanced strawberry flavor in collaboration with a fruit specialist MD.
GS25, operated by GS Retail, announced that starting on the 28th, it will sell a limited quantity of 1,000 strawberry sandwiches made with first-harvest strawberries through its exclusive app 'Our Neighborhood GS.' The price is 3,900 KRW, but with pre-orders via Our Neighborhood GS, customers can purchase it for 2,000 KRW, the same price as when it was first launched in 2015. GS25 was the first in the industry to introduce strawberry sandwiches in 2015.
The strawberry sandwich will be officially launched nationwide at about 18,000 stores around December 11. Customers who pre-order can pick up their sandwiches at their preferred store one week before the official launch, on December 4.
Since June, GS25 has been working with the fruit specialist MD from GS The Fresh supermarket’s agricultural team to research strawberry varieties and production areas suitable for sandwiches. Through this, they selected the Seolhyang variety from regions such as Sacheon and Nonsan, which best complement the taste. They also secured pre-contracts for supply aligned with the harvest seasons of major production areas to ensure stable strawberry supply.
This season’s strawberry sandwich is a collaboration with the popular Instagram webtoon 'Tintin Tinkle.' The packaging features main characters 'Tintin' and 'Tinkle,' and 15 types of character stickers are included. Additionally, milk cream, which enhances the taste of milk in fresh cream, is used to create a rich and smooth flavor.
Go Da-seul, GS25’s sandwich MD, said, "We planned this season’s strawberry sandwich in cooperation with fruit specialist MDs so that the strawberry sandwich purchased at GS25 can be more than just a simple dessert but a memorable special winter experience." She added, "We expect this product, which maximizes freshness and taste, to be the best choice for customers."
Swift Seven-Eleven, Double the Strawberry Amount in 'Mongle Mongle Strawberry Sand'
Seven-Eleven was the fastest in the industry to launch a strawberry sandwich this month on the 21st. With the cold arriving early, they brought forward the launch of the winter seasonal strawberry sandwich by about three weeks compared to previous years.
The new strawberry sandwich from Seven-Eleven is called 'Mongle Mongle Strawberry Sand.' The strawberries, the main ingredient, were directly sourced from Goryeong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, a famous domestic strawberry production area, based on a business agreement (MOU) with Gyeongbuk Province.
Seven-Eleven also focused on the bread this time. Mongle Mongle Strawberry Sand is made with 'Pasquier Pangollet,' a popular product from the French premium bakery 'Pasquier.' The cream uses plant-based cream known for its rich flavor. Compared to last year’s 'Berry Sweet Strawberry Sand,' the amount of strawberries was doubled and the cream increased by 50%.
Lee Eun-ah, Seven-Eleven’s food team MD, said, "We acted quickly in anticipation of a short autumn and record cold waves this winter to bring forward the launch of the strawberry sandwich, a representative winter hit product." She added, "We hope customers will enjoy the freshest and sweetest strawberry sandwich made with high-quality strawberries first at Seven-Eleven this year."
The reason the industry releases new strawberry sandwich products every winter season is that these products record high sales every year. CU’s strawberry sandwich ranks first in sandwich sales every year upon release. The annual sales growth rates of CU’s strawberry sandwich were 133.6% in 2021, 58.6% in 2022, and 61.1% in 2023.
GS25’s cumulative sales of strawberry sandwiches have reached about 22 million units. Seven-Eleven’s strawberry sandwich sales from last December to this March increased by 80% compared to the same period last year. Compared to 2016, sales have increased about 3.5 times.
Emart24 Adds Yogurt to Strawberry Sandwich
Emart24 will also start selling Yogurt Cream Strawberry Sandwiches from the 29th of this month. The new Yogurt Cream Strawberry Sandwich was inspired by yogurt ice cream topped with various toppings. By adding yogurt cream to the strawberry sandwich, it achieves a soft yet sweet harmonious taste. The strawberries used are large-sized (15?18g) Seolhyang strawberries.
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