"From the First Meeting with Shin Dong-yeop to a Call, 'Sulchinza' Sincerity Worked"... 120,000 Bottles of Whiskey Sold Out, Changed Convenience Stores [Interview]

Song Seungbae, Seven Eleven Beverage and Liquor Team MD
Shin Dongyeop Whiskey and Ha Jungwoo Wine: The Sell-Out Legends
Knighted for Popularizing French Champagne

Seven Eleven's 'Black Cirque Whiskey,' launched in February in collaboration with broadcaster Shin Dong-yeop, known as a 'drinking enthusiast,' sold out its initial stock of 120,000 bottles within a week. Last year, the wine 'Call Me Later Russian Jack Sauvignon Blanc,' created in partnership with actor Ha Jung-woo, also sold out in less than 30 minutes on the day of release, causing a surge in orders.

Broadcaster Shin Dong-yeop / Broadcast capture

Song Seung-bae, a product planner (MD, 34) for Seven Eleven's beverage and liquor team, is the key figure behind transforming the convenience store into a hotspot for 'Sulketting' (a combination of 'sul' meaning alcohol and 'ticketing,' referring to the competitive process of purchasing alcoholic beverages). While convenience stores have traditionally been accessible places to buy alcohol, recently Seven Eleven has established itself as a liquor hotspot where customers do not hesitate to participate in opening runs to purchase premium wines and limited-edition whiskeys.

Photo by Seven Eleven

In a recent interview with Asia Economy at Seven Eleven's headquarters in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, Song MD asserted, "I only release a product if I try it first and genuinely like it."

Joining Seven Eleven in 2016, he worked in store operations and management before taking on the role of wine and whiskey MD in the beverage and liquor team from 2020. Since his university days, he enjoyed flavorful drinks such as Cheongha and sake, and after starting his professional career, he was so serious about taste that he would take taxis to scout out company dinner venues in advance. After joining the beverage and liquor team, he became deeply immersed in the 'world of wine.' He shared, "At first, I only knew Moscato, which is known as an introductory wine, but now I can distinguish wine regions through blind tasting."

Song Seung-bae, MD of Seven Eleven, is being interviewed by Asia Economy at the Seven Eleven headquarters in Gangdong-gu, Seoul on the 1st. (Photo by Seven Eleven)

Products that passed through Song MD's discerning palate have repeatedly succeeded. A representative example is the 'Champagne Special Exhibition' held every year at the end of the year since 2021. Initially, the attempt to handle high-priced champagne in convenience stores was considered unusual, but the result was a huge success. 'Piper Heidsieck,' known as Marilyn Monroe's morning champagne, sold out immediately after launch, and some products were urgently airlifted. He explained, "It is rare to transport wine by air due to cost, but the demand was so high that it was possible."

In fact, Seven Eleven's champagne sales in December 2022 doubled compared to the previous year, and in 2023, champagne subscription tickets sold out in less than 20 minutes. At the end of last year, wine sales tripled and champagne sales increased 9.5 times compared to the previous 10 days. Song MD was awarded the 'Girard Saint-Emilion,' one of France's three major wine knighthoods, as the youngest recipient in Korea in 2023, recognizing his contribution to popularizing French champagne.

When sourcing products, Song MD thoroughly considers three factors: branding, design, and cost-effectiveness. He focuses especially on selecting wines from brands that are trendy among the MZ generation and well-known for their taste. He emphasized, "The key is how to offer high-quality rare products to consumers at reasonable prices. Since consumers are first drawn to attractive bottles, design is particularly important for wines priced around 10,000 to 20,000 won."

Song Seung-bae, MD of Seven Eleven, is posing after an interview with Asia Economy at the Seven Eleven headquarters in Gangdong-gu, Seoul on the 1st. (Photo by Seven Eleven)

Collaborations with drinking enthusiasts such as actor Ha Jung-woo and broadcaster Shin Dong-yeop also originated from Song MD's efforts. The sold-out Shin Dong-yeop whiskey this year was also commercialized thanks to their shared passion for alcohol. He said, "At the first meeting, I gave a presentation, and they immediately said yes. It was possible because we were both sincere about alcohol."

Song MD stated, "Now importers see Seven Eleven not just as a convenience store but as a trendy premium liquor distribution channel," emphasizing, "Our competitors are premium wine shops." He pledged to make Seven Eleven a 'trendy liquor culture playground.'