CU to launch instant-fried corn and apple pies at 2,000 won each
In short
Convenience store chain CU said on Oct. 5 that it will sell two pies fried to order in its stores — a corn pie and an apple pie — at 2,000 won each, with a 2+1 promotion through October. CU said instant fish cake, hot americano and roasted sweet potato sales rose between Sept. 28 and Oct. 4 as temperatures fell. Yonhap reported rival chains Seven-Eleven and GS25 have also begun selling winter snacks.
Read the full story 1 min read
Convenience store CU said on Oct. 5 that it will launch two pies cooked to order in its stores — a corn pie and an apple pie — priced at 2,000 won each, according to Yonhap and ZDNet Korea. Both are fried in store equipment so they are served warm. ZDNet Korea reported the chain will run a 2+1 promotion through October, which it said works out to roughly 1,333 won per pie. [ 1 , 2 ]
CU said the corn pie contains corn cream and corn kernels, while the apple pie combines apple flesh with cinnamon, details both outlets carried. ZDNet Korea said both products come in dedicated packaging meant to keep customers’ hands clean. Kim Dong-ha, an MD on BGF Retail’s HMR team, said CU had expanded its “hot bread” line from early September and was now extending into in-store cooking “to offer customers more choices,” adding that CU plans to widen the range to instant foods from overseas as well. [ 1 , 2 ]
CU said its own sales data for Sept. 28 to Oct. 4 showed winter items rising as the weather turned colder. Instant fish cake sales rose 57.3%, hot americanos 53.1% and roasted sweet potatoes 40.3%, figures both outlets cited. ZDNet Korea added that hand-warmer sales were four times higher than on the same weekdays a week earlier, with winter clothing up 69.3%, stockings up 65.2%, one-cup items up 32.6%, cold medicine up 22.1% and masks up 20.6%, while hot bread sales jumped 117.3%. [ 1 , 2 ]
Yonhap reported that the wider convenience-store industry is moving into winter food sales, saying Seven-Eleven began selling roasted sweet potatoes and fish cake on Sept. 14 and GS25 on Oct. 1. Those dates and the operator’s name for CU, BGF Retail, each appear in only one of the two reports. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
The announcement shows Korean convenience stores competing for winter snack demand as temperatures fall, a seasonal shift the chains say changes what shoppers buy. It is a routine product launch with limited consequence outside the convenience-store market.
Key facts
- CU said on Oct. 5 it will launch two pies cooked in store fryers: the CU Corn Pie and CU Apple Pie, at 2,000 won each. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The corn pie contains corn cream and corn kernels, and the apple pie combines apple flesh with cinnamon. [ 1 , 2 ]
- CU will run a 2+1 promotion on both pies for one month in October; ZDNet Korea said that works out to about 1,333 won per pie. [ 1 , 2 ]
- CU said its sales data for Sept. 28 to Oct. 4 showed instant fish cake sales up 57.3%, hot americano up 53.1% and roasted sweet potato up 40.3% as the weather turned colder. [ 1 , 2 ]
- ZDNet Korea reported hand-warmer sales were four times higher than on the same weekdays a week earlier, winter clothing up 69.3%, stockings up 65.2%, one-cup items up 32.6%, cold medicine up 22.1%, masks up 20.6% and hot bread up 117.3%. [ 2 ]
- Yonhap reported Seven-Eleven began selling roasted sweet potatoes and fish cake on Sept. 14 and GS25 on Oct. 1. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- CU announced on Oct. 5 the launch of two in-store-fried pies, corn and apple, priced at 2,000 won each. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Both pies are cooked in store fryers and the corn pie contains corn cream and kernels while the apple pie contains apple flesh with cinnamon. [ 1 , 2 ]
- CU reported that instant fish cake sales rose 57.3%, hot americano 53.1% and roasted sweet potato 40.3% between Sept. 28 and Oct. 4. [ 1 , 2 ]
- CU is running a 2+1 promotion on the two pies during October. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- The basis of comparison for the instant food sales increases is not stated. ZDNet Korea says hand-warmer sales were measured against the same weekdays a week earlier, but neither document says what period the fish cake, americano and sweet potato figures are compared with.
- Whether CU is operated by BGF Retail. Only ZDNet Korea names BGF Retail as the operator and cites a BGF Retail manager; Yonhap refers to CU alone.
- The packaging detail and the Sept. 14 and Oct. 1 start dates for Seven-Eleven and GS25 winter snack sales. Each appears in only one document, so they are single-source claims.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- CU announces it will launch instant-fried corn and apple pies at 2,000 won each, with a 2+1 promotion in October, and reports rising winter-item sales from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4. [ 1 ]
- ZDNet Korea reports the same launch, adding the 2+1 effective price of about 1,333 won, packaging details, further sales figures and a BGF Retail manager’s comments. [ 2 ]