[Why&Next] Convenience Stores Drive Boom in Packaged Instant Noodles
Creatrip Team
3 months ago
Korea’s packaged instant noodle (봉지라면) market is shifting from discount-driven big-box retail to convenience stores, fueled by foreign tourists and changing domestic lifestyles. Manufacturers like Samyang now launch new products in supermarkets and rapidly expand into convenience stores as both sales and testbeds—Samyang 1963 sold 7 million units in one month with 17% from convenience stores, where prices are 20–30% higher than large supermarkets. Major chains (CU, GS25, Seven-Eleven, Emart24) report double-digit growth in packaged noodle sales, and convenience-store ‘‘ramen specialty’’ outlets attract tourists with experiential displays (e.g., CU’s Ramen Library and Han River noodle experiences). Foreign customer payments and sales have surged, especially after eased visa rules for Chinese tourists. The rise of one-person households (over 8 million) and decreased big-mart shopping also push shoppers toward nearby, small-quantity purchases at convenience stores. Retailers and makers now view convenience stores as primary channels for product testing and reaching both solo domestic consumers and inbound visitors.
