GS Shop said on the 29th it will introduce the "Special You frozen blueberries" through a TV broadcast at 3:35 p.m. on the 31st. They are a single Duke variety grown in Washington state in the United States, using 100% U.S.-grown Grade A fruit.
The package includes 13 packs of 320 grams of frozen blueberries and 1 kilogram of Peruvian apple mango, and will be sold for 59,900 won during the broadcast, a 10,000 won discount. The individual quick freezing (IQF) method was applied immediately after harvest to improve freshness and storability, with a focus on preserving anthocyanins, the key nutrient in blueberries.
GS Shop said it planned the product as frozen fruit emerges as an alternative to fresh fruit amid high inflation. Frozen blueberries that GS Shop introduced on TV last year sold out entirely after just two broadcasts, recording 4 billion won in orders. That is about 150% above the initial target.
Freshly squeezed juice is also growing quickly. GS Shop's cumulative orders for freshly squeezed juice from January to March this year reached 2.5 billion won, achieving about 45% of last year's annual orders (5.6 billion won) in the first quarter alone.
Bae Gwon-il, GS Shop food team manager, said, "Even in a high inflation environment, demand for fruit consumption with health in mind continues," adding, "We plan to steadily expand related products centered on frozen fruit and freshly squeezed juice, which offer storability and price competitiveness."