GS25, the convenience store operated by GS Retail, said on the 1st that three ready-to-eat items from its collaboration with "K-pop Demon Hunters (KDH)" ranked No. 1 in sales in their respective categories, gaining strong popularity as "must-have items for foreign tourists."
The three KDH ready-to-eat items that GS25 released on 17th — ▲ half-and-half gimbap with tuna mayo & Jeonju bibim ▲ couple rice balls with Jeonju bibim & spicy pork ▲ assorted snack set — sold 50,000 units on the first day alone, and the five KDH collaboration series items additionally released on 24th and 26th — ▲ buldak corn cheese rice ball ▲ classic hot dog — surpassed a cumulative 800,000 units sold within two weeks of launch.
In particular, because KDH has sparked a global craze, it was also highly popular with foreign tourists.
An analysis of four KDH-specialty stores operated by GS25 with high foreign visitor traffic (▲ Incheon Airport T1 West ▲ Incheon Airport T2 West ▲ Incheon Airport T2 Departures ▲ New Annyeong Insadong) showed that sales of KDH ready-to-eat items increased 63.7% on the same three days after specialty operations (Sept. 24–26) compared with the three days before (Sept. 17–19).
GS25 said the growth came because foreigners recognized the items as "must-have K-culture items." To mark the Netflix collaboration, GS25 included 42 types of random seals featuring characters from the show. It analyzed that this led to experiential consumption as goods rather than just a meal, driving an increase in purchases by foreigners.
Park Jong-seo, head of the FF team at GS Retail, said, "As convenience stores have become must-visit spots for foreign tourists, GS25 is emerging as a 'K-content consumption platform' through 'KDH ready-to-eat items,'" adding, "We will offer customers a differentiated experience with ready-to-eat items linked to K-food that is loved worldwide."