Both CU and GS25 are also targeting the global K-pop fandom, selling physical albums of idol groups at locations popular with young travelers, including stores in the hip neighborhoods of Hongdae and Seongsu in southern Seoul, known for its craft coffee bars and organic restaurants in repurposed warehouses.“Foreign spending has reached record highs this year in areas like Myeong-dong and Seongsu,” said a CV executive.“K-pop albums and Korean cultural products are among the most frequently purchased items.”By Tae-Ung Baebtu104@hankyung.comIn-Soo Nam edited this article.
Last year, the best-selling item among foreign customers at CU was a chocolate brand popularized through Korean social media, known colloquially as “Dubai chocolate.”With the Dubai chocolate craze going viral on social media, particularly among young consumers in their 20s and 30s, CU began selling “Dubai Style Chocolates” in July 2024, with GS25 and 7-Eleven also launching their own versions.
CU, operated by BGF Retail Co., the top Korean convenience store chain in terms of store count, reported a 54.9% on-year increase in foreign transaction volume in the first quarter.The No.2 player, GS25, operated by GS Retail Co., and the No.3 player, 7-Eleven, followed with growth rates of 50.7% and 40%, respectively.
The story "When in S. Korea, it’s a ritual: Foreigners make stops at CU, GS25, 7-Eleven" has 581 words across 25 sentences, which will take approximately 3 - 5 minutes for the average person to read.
Which news outlet covered this story?
The story "When in S. Korea, it’s a ritual: Foreigners make stops at CU, GS25, 7-Eleven" was covered 4 hours ago by Korea Economic Daily, a news publisher based in South Korea.
How trustworthy is 'Korea Economic Daily' news outlet?
Korea Economic Daily is a fully independent (privately-owned) news outlet established in 1964 that covers mostly economy news.
The outlet is headquartered in South Korea and publishes an average of 2 news stories per day.
It's most recent story was published 4 minutes ago.
What do people currently think of this news story?
The sentiment for this story is currently Negative, indicating that people regard this as "bad news".
How do I report this news for inaccuracy?
You can report an inaccurate news publication to us via our contact page. Please also include the news #ID number and the URL to this story.
