Expansion of "Mini" Size Lineup
A Contrasting Move to Luxury Hotels' "Small Luxury" Trend
Bingsu Market Surpasses 500 Billion KRW Amid Record-Breaking Heat
Domestic coffee franchises are gaining popularity with single-serving cup bingsu products that emphasize value for money. As prolonged high inflation has led consumers to cut back on spending, expanding the lineup of "mini" sized products, rather than large-sized ones, has proven effective. This is the opposite strategy from luxury hotels, which are targeting the "small luxury" trend by launching premium products.
According to industry sources on June 10, Mega MGC Coffee's "Patbing Gelato Parfait" and "Mangbing Parfait" surpassed cumulative sales of 500,000 units in less than a month after their launch at the end of April, signaling strong popularity.
These products are based on milk bingsu, with toppings such as gelato-style red bean, mixed cereal, rice cake, mango, coconut chips, and whipped cream. As "value-for-money bingsu," they have sparked a trend among the MZ generation on social networking services (SNS), where people are posting photos of their purchases. The price is 4,400 KRW.
On SNS, there are numerous posts from part-time workers at Mega MGC Coffee pleading, "Please stop ordering them ㅠ," due to the complicated and time-consuming process of making these bingsu with many toppings. This has even led to memes such as "the Patbing Gelato Parfait that's salty with the tears of part-timers," adding another layer of fun and attention.
Not only Mega MGC Coffee, but Compose Coffee's "Patjeolmi Milk Shake" is also seeing continued sales. This menu item was first introduced in June 2021 and has been a steady seller every summer season, but recently, sales have surged rapidly.
Ediya Coffee has also recently launched four new single-serving bingsu products. The four varieties are: Chodang Corn, Honey Grapefruit Granola, Red Bean Injeolmi, and Mango Granola, highlighting the brand's emphasis on diversity. An Ediya representative explained, "With the upcoming summer, we have introduced new products to increase customer satisfaction with a variety of flavors and visuals."
The industry analyzes that, although price increases are inevitable for franchises due to rising raw material costs, they are minimizing the increase and instead releasing mini-sized products.
Above all, as consumption polarization intensifies, companies are launching products that fit the value-for-money trend in response to premium offerings.
In fact, the "small luxury" trend, where people find psychological satisfaction in small indulgences, is spreading. Hotel bingsu, which now far exceeds the 100,000 KRW psychological price resistance line for consumers, is flooding SNS with photos as people show off their purchases.
For example, Seoul Shilla Hotel, regarded as the originator of apple mango bingsu, is selling its Apple Mango Bingsu for 110,000 KRW this year, yet it remains famous for its exceptionally long waiting times. First introduced in 2007, the Shilla Hotel Apple Mango Bingsu gained popularity for its generous use of Jeju-grown apple mango, and has since become the symbol of Shilla Hotel's summer bingsu. The price rose from 64,000 KRW in 2021, to 83,000 KRW in 2022, 98,000 KRW in 2023, and surpassed 100,000 KRW in 2024, now selling for 102,000 KRW. Shilla Hotel has adopted a "mango price linkage system," adjusting the selling price according to the cost of mangoes.
The rapid growth of the bingsu market, driven by record-breaking heat every year, is another reason why franchises are rushing to launch single-serving bingsu products. The domestic bingsu market exceeded 500 billion KRW in 2020, up from around 300 billion KRW in 2018. This year, demand for delivery is expected to be high, leading companies to launch various bingsu products and strengthen their delivery services.
An industry official explained, "With summer arriving earlier and lasting longer each year, demand for bingsu is rising, so we are launching products earlier and offering a wider variety. The term 'Honbingjok,' referring to people who eat bingsu alone, has even been coined, indicating a growing number of consumers. We plan to respond to this demand."
Another industry official said, "It is true that most bingsu sold at famous hotels in city centers are priced well over 100,000 KRW. Due to income polarization, the phenomenon of consumers purchasing either value-for-money or premium products is becoming more pronounced, so we are considering various product launch strategies."
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