Amid accelerating “lunch inflation (lunch + inflation),” the convenience store industry is releasing “cost-effectiveness (performance versus price)” lunch boxes one after another to reduce the burden of lunch prices. According to the National Statistical Office, the restaurant price index recorded 115.45 (2020 = 100) last month, up 7.5% from the previous year. In particular, prices of all 39 items in the restaurant sector, including galbitang, jajangmyeon, kimbap, pork cutlet, chicken, pizza, and coffee, rose.In the case of processed food prices announced by the Korea Consumer Agency last month, tuna cans (10.7%), soups (8.5%), sesame oil (8.2%), fish cakes (7.2%) and curry (6.9%) rose sharply compared to the previous month.As more and more consumers feel burdened by high prices for food, the convenience store industry is eager to release a “cost-effective lunch box” to replace home-cooked meals. Convenience store GS25′s “Kim Hye-ja Lunch Box” triggered the convenience store’s cost-effective lunch box war. GS25 re-released ‘Kim Hye-ja Lunch Box’ on the 15th of last month for the first time in six years. The lunch box, which created the buzzword “Hyeja-da-da” more than a decade ago (meaning generous compared to the price), surpassed 1 million cumulative sales in 20 days after its re-launch. It has become the shortest million seller based on the lunch box menu ever.The first round of “Hyejaunjipbap Stir-fried Spicy Pork Lunch Box” and the sequel, “Hyejaunjipbap Squid Bulgogi,” went viral, attracting a large number of new customers beyond existing customers who consume convenience store lunch boxes.GS25′s lunch box sales increased 55% year-on-year for a month from the 15th of last month to the 14th of this month when the “Kim Hye-ja Lunch Box” was released. This is more than twice the sales growth rate (23%) during the same period just before its launch.Moreover, the price is also sold for $33.5 through a discount event, which is cheaper than regular convenience store lunch boxes formed at $4 to $5. GS25 plans to introduce up to 15 types of Kim Hye-ja’s lunch boxes in a series within the year to drive the “second heyday” of the lunch boxes.
E-Mart 24 released a 6-chan lunch box worth 3,000 won on the 27th of last month. “39 Lunch Box (KRW 3,900)” added mini donkatsu, seafood wonton, vegetable goroke, and stir-fried kimchi to the stir-fried sausage vegetables, stir-fried potatoes, and stir-fried garlic jjong. E-Mart 24 manufactured one to two types of side dishes included in popular lunch boxes in each manufacturing plant in bulk. This allowed the unit price to be lowered. The customer’s response is also good. According to E-Mart 24, ’39 Lunch Box’ sales of E-Mart lunch boxes increased 29% compared to the previous month during the four days of its launch.CU also introduced a “grilled meat lunch box ($3.7 until the 31st)” with culinary researcher Jongwon Baek (a famous Korean chef). The “Jongwon Baek Jeyuk Hanpan Lunch Box” is an upgraded version of the complete set lunch box, which ranks first in annual lunch box sales at CU.It contains two kinds of pork bulgogi (soy sauce and red pepper paste), four kinds of side dishes: braised potatoes, stir-fried pumpkin, fried kimchi, and fried egg tofu pancake. Grilled ham is placed on top of the white rice.As it is designed as a product that responds to high prices, the amount is also abundant. The amount of rice and side dishes increased by more than 10% compared to the regular lunch box at a similar price range sold by CU, bringing the total weight to 440g.”In the era of high prices, cost-effective and high-quality convenience store lunch boxes are creating a craze,” a convenience store industry official said. “We will expand the good influence of convenience store lunch boxes by stabilizing prices and providing abundant meals to people who miss home-cooked meals.”
ej song
Asia Journal