Convenience store CU is producing flyers featuring discounted popular fresh food items such as meat and vegetables. The move introduces flyer events previously seen only in large-scale marts and supermarkets, aiming to expand its competitive reach into the shopping market. This is interpreted as a response to recent market changes driven by an increase in one- and two-person households, which has boosted demand for small-portion food ingredients through nearby channels.
According to the retail industry on the 1st, CU will begin producing product flyers reminiscent of large-scale mart discount events this month, placing them at store entrances, counters, tasting areas, and other locations. It is reported that this marks the first time a convenience store has created offline promotional flyers.
The flyers feature food ingredient products such as gochujang samgyeopsal grill with additional discounts and 1+1 bonus gifts, Hanwoo bulgogi, samgyeopsal, Shine Muscat grapes, Geobong grapes, apples, tofu, raw eggs, and bean sprouts. CU will offer discounted prices on approximately 90 types of shopping items including fruits, vegetables, butchered meat, refrigerated goods, and frozen products throughout September.
The company states that its pricing remains competitive even compared to large-scale marts. Items include 500g of samgyeopsal for grilling at 11,700 won, 200g of Hanwoo beef for stewing at 9,900 won, a carton of 30 eggs at 7,920 won, pan-fried tofu at 1,300 won, 270g of bean sprouts at 2,300 won, and 1kg of apples at 8,500 won.
A CU representative explained, "We created the flyers so that customers visiting our stores can easily see all major shopping discount items and benefits at a glance," adding, "We also expect this to shift perceptions by showing that diverse fresh foods are available even at convenience stores."
Convenience stores expanding their product range from tobacco and processed foods to food ingredients aligns with changing demands in the shopping market. Due to prolonged high inflation, the current shopping market focuses heavily on cost-performance. In terms of package size, demand has bifurcated between channels specialized for bulk purchases like Traders and those preferring small portions as needed. Convenience stores are focusing their efforts on meeting the latter demand.
Sales of food ingredients have also surged significantly. CU's food ingredient sales growth rates were 24.2% in 2023, 18.3% in 2024, 18.7% in 2025, and 20.0% in 2026 (January to August), maintaining double-digit growth annually. Consequently, the sales composition has shifted. The share of fresh food sales among all products rose from 10.9% in 2018 to 13.9% in the second quarter of this year. During the same period, the share of tobacco sales declined from 41% to 35.9%.
CU plans to expand its number of "shopping-specialized stores," which stock primarily fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables in residential areas, from the current 300 locations to 500 by year-end.
A BGF Retail representative stated, "Going forward, we will expand our range of shopping items and enhance price competitiveness to target nearby shopping demand through various methods including shopping events, specialized stores, and quick commerce across both online and offline channels, further developing convenience stores into community-integrated shopping channels."
Recently, competing convenience store chains are also trending toward expanding shopping-specialized stores. GS25 plans to expand its Fresh Food Strengthened Stores (FCS) to 1,100 locations by the end of this year, while Seven-Eleven intends to increase its number of fresh food-specialized stores, currently operating around 100 locations.
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