"Is Dujjonku Really That Special? Even Similar Products Are Flying Off Convenience Store Shelves"

CU Sells 8.3 Million Dubai-Themed Products in Total
GS25’s Second-Generation Dubai Desserts Near 1 Million Units
Seven-Eleven and Emart24 Rank High with Similar Desserts
Large Supermarkets Expand Ingredient Offerings for Small Business Owne

The dessert "Dubai Chewy Cookie" (Dujjonku), a reinterpretation of Dubai chocolate in a Korean style, has become so popular that it is in short supply at major retailers. As a result, private brand (PB) products with similar concepts sold at convenience stores are also experiencing a surge in demand.

Dubai Chewy Cookie.

According to industry sources on January 15, CU, a convenience store operated by BGF Retail, launched the "Dubai Chewy Chapssaltteok" on October 15 last year in response to the Dujjonku craze. In just about three months, up to January 12, 1.8 million units were sold. This product has consistently ranked as the most popular search term on CU's own commerce application, Pocket CU, and sells out as soon as it arrives in stores.

Other desserts in this category, such as "Dubai Choco Brownie" and "Dubai Chewy Macaron," have also gained popularity, bringing the cumulative sales of Dubai concept products handled by CU to 8.3 million units. A CU representative said, "Dubai dessert products with unique convenience store ideas have been so popular that they repeatedly sell out and are restocked." Starting today, the lineup will be strengthened with the addition of the "Dubai Mini Towel Cake." This product sold out its initial batch of 40,000 units quickly after its launch on December 18, and all 21,000 pre-order units available from January 5 to 10 were also sold out.

GS25, a convenience store run by GS Retail, also offers similar products, including two desserts-"Dubai Chewy Choco Ball" and "Dubai Choco Brownie"-one type of chocolate, and one type of ice cream. In the second half of 2024, the Dubai concept product lineup, which previously included one chocolate, one milk, one ice cream, and one bread, was reorganized to focus on desserts. Among these, the "Dubai Chewy Choco Ball," launched in October last year, is currently the most popular item, accounting for 35.5% of sales among the approximately 100 refrigerated desserts at GS25 as of this month. The second-generation Dubai dessert lineup has a sales rate of 97%, with cumulative sales nearing 1 million units.

Seven-Eleven, operated by Korea Seven, also launched a new product called "Kadaif Chewy Ball," similar to Dujjonku, on January 1. Kadaif, the main ingredient in Dujjonku, is a thin, long noodle commonly used in Middle Eastern desserts. Seven-Eleven's PB dessert sold 150,000 units within about 10 days of its launch, signaling strong demand. It ranked second in total search volume on the company's Seven App, and accounted for about 10% of sales within both the "same-day pickup" and "pre-order" services.

Additionally, Emart24, a convenience store under Shinsegae Group, has been selling trend-driven products such as "Choco Castella Kadaif Mochi" and "Choco Kadaif Mochi" since last month. Sales of these products increased by 81% in the second week after launch compared to the previous week, by 55% in the third week, and by 18% in the fourth week, surpassing a cumulative total of 180,000 units sold within a month. Currently, these products rank first and second in Emart24’s dessert category sales. As a result, Emart24’s dessert category sales in December 2025 rose by 351% compared to the same period last year.

An industry insider explained, "Desserts sold at specialty stores are so popular with trend-sensitive consumers that they are difficult to obtain, even after visiting multiple locations. As a result, alternative desserts at convenience stores, which offer more reasonable prices, guaranteed quality, and better accessibility, are gaining popularity."

Large supermarkets are also actively introducing the relevant ingredients, as self-employed vendors making Dujjonku have been stockpiling supplies due to soaring demand. Emart plans to start importing Kadaif noodles from T?rkiye, the country of origin, for sale beginning next month. Separately, sales of marshmallows, the main ingredient, at Emart and Traders combined, increased by 253.1% from December last year to January 12 this year compared to the same period a year earlier. Sales of pistachios and cocoa powder also rose by 187.2% and 98%, respectively.

Lotte Mart also saw cocoa powder sales double from December last year to January 13 this year compared to the same period a year earlier, while sales of marshmallows and pistachios increased by 49.7% and 15.9%, respectively. Lotte Mart is also considering supplying "pistachio spread," the main ingredient in Dujjonku, through additional vendors beyond its existing suppliers.