Complete Guide To Korean Convenience Stores
A guide to the 5 biggest convenience store brands in Korea!
Walking down the bustling streets lit up with neon signs in Seoul, you'll find a convenience store or two in every corner. It's such a widely accessible amenity in Korea that you don't have to walk far to reach from one convenience store to another. So who are the big players in the industry? What do the editors recommend you try from each brand? How do Korea's fast-changing trends affect products at convenience stores? Find out below!
CONVENIENCE STORE BRANDS
Simply put, there are 5 prominent convenience store brands in Korea. These are often referred to as the 'Big 5' in the industry. The 3 biggest players among the 5 (GS25, CU and 7-Eleven) are often referred to as the 'Big 3' as well.
Number Of Branches: 13,899 (As of November 2019)
Sales In 2020 1Q: 1,628,000,000,000KRW (Approx. 1.373B USD)
Profit In 2020 1Q: 40,600,000,000KRW (Approx. 34.2M USD)
GS Retail, a subsidiary of the giant Korean conglomerate GS Group, runs brands including GS25, GS The Fresh, Lalavla and more. GS25 has been their convenience store brand since 1990.
GS25 has been doing quite well in 2020 even during the COVID-19 pandemic and market experts believe it's due to its differentiated services including their app, coffee subscription service, delivery service and laundry service.
Number Of Branches: 13,820 (As of November 2019)
Sales In 2020 1Q: 1,393,100,000,000KRW (Approx. 1.175B USD)
Profit In 2020 1Q: 18,500,000,000KRW (Approx. 15.6M USD)
Initially a licensed brand of Japan's Family Mart, CU became an independent brand in 2012.
CU also offers delivery and it's expanding fast with a plan to expand to over 5,000 by the end of the first quarter of 2020.
CU has partnered with celebrity chef/businessman Baek Jong-won and launched a dosirak (lunch box) line which is one of their best sellers. Their desserts, generous in amount and affordable in price, are also mentioned often on social media.
Number Of Branches: 10,005 (As of November 2019)
The first-ever convenience store to have opened in Korea was a 7-Eleven branch that opened in Sindangdong, Junggu in Seoul in 1982. It closed its doors in 1984 as not many people were familiar with the idea of convenience stores then.
Number Of Branches: 4,438 (As of November 2019)
As Emart's wholly owned subsidiary, this convenience store brand features products from Emart and No Brand (another Emart subsidiary).
Number of Branches: 2,556 (As of February 2019)
Korea's Ministop is wholly ownedby Japan's AEON Group. A lot of its niche fanbase comes from its freshly cooked food including fried chicken, fish cake and corn dogs as well as the soft-served ice cream.
MUST-TRYS
New releases are coming out every month and keeping up with each is no joke. Check out our compiled list of must-buys for this year to start off your Korean convenience store journey!
If you're running short on time and need to grab something on-the-go, think of these 6 first!
Korean convenience stores have sausages that come in skewers which make them great snacks that are easy to hold and eat. Check out our list of favourites!
Vegan
We did convenience store runs and tried many of the vegan options we could find there. Read our review and see which one's the most worth getting!
Check out our list of vegan options you'll find at convenience stores and supermarkets covering from salads and kimbaps to chips and mandus!
SPECIAL RELEASES
Remember when dalgona coffee was a thing on the internet? Originally an after-school snack many Korean kids enjoyed in the 90s and 2000s, dalgona brings a sense of nostalgia to many locals. Following the homemade dalgona coffee sensation, many convenience store brands and supermarket brands launched their own dalgona snack lines.
If you can't find any of the snacks where you live, why not make one more cup of dalgona coffee at home?
Binggrae Flavoured Milk Selection
Many Koreans grew up drinking the classic Binggrae banana flavoured milk. Great news is that there are many variations of flavours now! The sweet, flavourful milk pairs perfectly with spicy Korean food, too.
Taiwanese milk tea and desserts are a huge hit in Korea! Taiwanese sandwiches, the most famous place to get them being Hong Rui Zhen, are also widely loved here. You'll even find them at CU. Have you decided which ones to try at the closest convenience store first? Be sure to share your experience with us!
We hope you enjoyed this! If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment below or email us at help@creatrip.com! You can follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook to stay updated on all things Korea!
