"Who Would Buy This?"... Why a 31 Million Won Humanoid Robot Appeared at Convenience Stores

High-End Whiskeys and Gold Bars Also Appear
A Lure Strategy to Boost Average Basket Size

In anticipation of Chuseok, convenience store shelves now feature humanoid robots and robotic dogs priced in the tens of millions of won. Instead of traditional gift sets such as Korean beef or cooking oil, retailers are putting ultra-premium and unique products front and center to capture consumers' attention.

CU's 2026 Chuseok Gift Set. CU

According to the retail industry on August 26, with Chuseok arriving more than ten days earlier than usual this year, convenience store chains have started selling holiday gift sets well in advance. Notably, convenience stores, which typically focus on ready-to-eat meals or daily necessities, are now greatly expanding their product range to include robots costing tens of millions of won, pure gold items, whiskey, and massage chairs.

CU has prepared a total of about 710 different gift items for this year's Chuseok. The most expensive is a bipedal humanoid robot priced at 31 million won. There is also a robotic dog, designed as a smart companion pet, priced at around 3.99 million won. In total, CU offers six different robot products, including an AI-powered Go robot. A CU representative stated, "We have put together a variety of robot products as gift sets, focusing on the latest AI and robotics trends that are attracting attention these days."

GS25 has also introduced the social robot "Liku," priced at around 5.5 million won. Household appliances such as smartwatches and food waste processors have been added to the product list. In-store offerings also include the "Sensrobot Go," an AI Go robot priced at about 1.58 million won, and "Ailico," an AI-powered conversational robot keyring priced at around 110,000 won.

As consumer interest in gold has increased, the industry is now releasing pure gold items such as gold bars. In particular, GS25 introduced unique products such as a pure gold medal engraved with the handprint of independence activist Ahn Joong-geun. Additionally, GS25 is offering card-shaped gold medals featuring the Korean national flag, as well as silver and copper medals inspired by the artwork of Lee Jung-seop, to target the growing demand for collectible pieces.

GS25's Chuseok Gift Lineup. GS25

The reason retailers are racing to launch these unique high-end products is to "create new demand" and "raise the average basket size." By reflecting AI and robot trends that appeal to younger consumers, they are securing premium competitiveness and aiming to elevate overall store sales levels.

Regardless of whether these items actually sell, the promotional effect and buzz they generate online and on social media are significant. For example, the fact that "convenience stores are selling robots worth tens of millions of won" becomes a trending topic, drawing customers to brick-and-mortar locations and naturally expanding consumer interest to other gift products.

This ultra-premium product marketing strategy is also being validated by rising sales figures. During the previous Lunar New Year, CU’s holiday sales jumped 13.8% year-on-year, and sales of high-priced items over 100,000 won surged by 39.2%. Premium gifts such as gold bars, diamond necklaces, and premium wine and whiskey were cited as the main drivers behind the overall sales increase.

A CU spokesperson commented, "Even if these expensive robots do not immediately lead to actual sales, they showcase the convenience store’s exceptional product sourcing and curation capabilities by breaking the mold of traditional holiday gifts with unique offerings."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.