With food ingredients and dining-out expenses rising day after day, convenience store chains are rolling out "value-for-money" foods one after another. They are taking differentiated strategies such as increasing the size while lowering the price compared with existing products, or offering discounts and launching premium products to capture demand from customers seeking quick, simple meals.
On the 8th, industry sources said CU, a convenience store chain operated by BGF Retail, recently launched three varieties of its private brand PBICK cup coffee. They are Americano, cafe latte and caramel macchiato, which are popular with consumers. All three come in 320ml cups and are priced at 1,900 won. Considering that name-brand cup coffees from market manufacturers are around 200ml and about 2,500 won, they are more than 30% cheaper. In general, convenience store ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee is divided into cup, can and PET types, and cup coffee accounts for more than 40% of sales, making it a popular item among consumers.
Convenience store chains are securing price competitiveness in slightly different ways amid the inflationary phase. CU is emphasizing value for money especially in drinks and ready meals. CU launched the "overwhelming plus ready meal" series last month. It is a renewed version of the "overwhelming ready meal" series released last year. CU said it increased the weight by more than 50% compared with similar products.
The bulgogi-kimchi and spicy pork feast lunch boxes were configured so that the 5,900-won lunch box lets customers enjoy fried rice and pasta at the same time. Ham-tuna and beef rice balls doubled their weight compared with existing products. Ham-cheese and five-color vegetable gimbap increased from eight pieces to 12 pieces. There are also premium-quality products such as soy sauce black pork and spicy black pork triangular rice balls made with Jeju black pork.
Emart24 focuses on discount events that consumers can feel immediately. Emart24 will run a "1+1 time sale" on all triangular rice balls throughout September. Between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., when paying by mobile or a physical T-money card, customers can get two identical-priced triangular rice balls for the price of one. If applied to the lowest-priced 900-won triangular rice ball, the effective purchase price is 450 won each. An Emart24 official said the event was prepared for students short on cash and office workers who have been feeling a greater burden from dining-out prices.
On the 4th, GS25 introduced a premium-type "whole topping triangular rice ball" series. The representative product, the "Spam-tuna-mayo whole topping triangular rice ball," is sold at 1,500 won each. It plans to sequentially release other upgraded topping products such as soft-boiled soy sauce, egg-abalone and XO shrimp fried rice. A GS Retail official, which operates GS25, said, "An analysis of ready-meal sales in the first half of 2025 showed that triangular rice ball sales rose 34.6% year over year, the highest growth rate."
Seven Eleven is running a fresh food discount event for fruits, vegetables and eggs throughout September. Domestic soybean tofu (210g, for stew or pan-frying) is being sold at 2,000 won, a 50% discount off the regular price. "Crisp safe bean sprouts (180g)" and "grilled corn (one piece)" are offered as buy-one-get-one promotions. According to Seven Eleven, with the recent spread of nearby shopping culture and the overlapping effect of livelihood consumption coupons, fresh food sales at Seven Eleven in August rose 30% from the previous month.
With the "jjanthec" (saving + asset management) consumption trend spreading among the MZ generation (millennials and Gen Z, born 1980–2004) and office workers' lunch costs exceeding 10,000 won leading to the normalization of "lunchflation," such moves by convenience stores have emerged as an alternative to lower perceived prices. According to Statistics Korea, the consumer price inflation rate in August was 1.7% year over year, the lowest of the year, but food prices rose by a larger margin. In August, prices for agricultural, livestock and fishery products, processed foods and dining out rose 4.8%, 4.2% and 3.1% year over year, respectively.
Coffee bean prices are also on a skyward trend. Arabica bean prices traded on the New York ICE Futures Exchange were $8,426 per ton (about 1,172,000 won) last week, up 34.5% from $6,265 per ton (about 868,000 won) a month earlier. Reduced production due to abnormal weather and the U.S. imposition of a 50% tariff on Brazilian beans are cited as major causes.
An industry official said, "The recent convenience store discount competition can be seen not merely as promotions but as part of responses to a household cost crisis caused by the surge in dining-out expenses," adding, "However, it is uncertain how long such strategies can be sustained amid continuing rises in materials and supplies costs."