CU: 'Morning Mini Gimbap' Cumulative Sales Reach 4 Million Units

A light breakfast concept
Popular in roadside locations, office districts, and university areas

BGF Retail said on the 15th that cumulative sales of “get Morning Mini Gimbap,” launched by its convenience store chain CU last January, had reached 4 million units. The product targets consumers looking for a quick breakfast or trying to eat smaller meals.

Early this year, CU launched get Morning, a brand of convenient breakfast foods, and introduced mini gimbap, muffins, sandwiches, porridge, and other products. Mini gimbap accounted for 68% of the series’ total sales. Its bite-size portions and packaging, which make it easy to eat and store, are cited as key factors behind its popularity.

A model introduces CU's Get Morning Tuna and Richam Half-and-Half Mini Gimbap, launched on the 14th. Courtesy of CU.

Gimbap sales have also grown as a share of sales during the morning hours. The share of total gimbap sales made between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. rose by 3.1 percentage points, from 18.6% in September last year to 21.7% in September this year. Gimbap sales from January to September this year increased 19.4% from the same period a year earlier.

Mini gimbap sales were highest in residential areas, followed by roadside locations, office districts, and university areas. By age group, consumers in their 20s accounted for the largest share of sales at 32.1%, followed by those in their 30s (22.2%) and 40s (21.9%). Among individual products, “Whole Spam Mini Gimbap” was the best seller, followed by “Ham and Cheongyang Chili Bite-Size Mini Gimbap” and “Richam Tuna Bite-Size Mini Gimbap.”

Cumulative sales of mini gimbap to foreign tourists also exceeded 100,000 units. Of these, more than 30,000 units of the Ham and Cheongyang Chili Bite-Size Mini Gimbap were sold, making it the most popular choice. By nationality, buyers from China ranked first, followed by Japan, the United States, and Taiwan.

CU is also expanding its range of products featuring two flavors in one package. “Spam Egg Half-and-Half Mini Gimbap,” launched last month, sold 200,000 units in just one month. On October 14, CU added “Tuna and Richam Half-and-Half Mini Gimbap” (3,400 won). It consists of three rolls filled with grilled Richam and mayonnaise and three filled with tuna mayo and cheddar cheese. CU is also running a promotion offering a 1,000-won discount when customers buy a get Morning product together with get Coffee, its freshly brewed coffee.

Kim Yu-ju, a merchandiser on BGF Retail’s convenience food team, said, “get Morning Mini Gimbap is drawing interest not only as part of the breakfast trend but also in connection with the spread of the ‘small meal’ trend, in which consumers prefer lighter meals. CU will continue to analyze trends closely and introduce tailored products that fit customers’ changing daily routines.”

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