Retailers race to cash in on ‘Culinary Class Wars’ buzz

(7-Eleven)

Retailers in South Korea are moving quickly to turn the popularity of the recently concluded Netflix variety show Culinary Class Wars 2 into sales, rolling out collaboration products with chefs featured on the program.

According to industry officials on Sunday, convenience store chains, large discount marts and home shopping companies are all pushing joint projects with chefs who appeared on the show, seeking to extend its media buzz into consumer demand.

Convenience store 7-Eleven has seen particularly strong results from its collaborations with top-ranked chefs from the program. The retailer partnered with the show’s winner, Chef Choi Kang-rok, to launch the premium distilled soju “Neo25 White” on Jan. 8. An initial batch of 10,000 bottles sold out in just three days. 7-Eleven has since increased the second release to 15,000 bottles, up from the originally planned 10,000, with sales set to begin on Jan. 23.

Emart24 also reported success, saying a ready-to-eat meal developed in collaboration with Chef Son Jong-won reached cumulative sales of 300,000 units within 40 days of its launch in November. The figure marks the fastest-selling and best-performing chef collaboration product in the company’s history.

Large discount marts and home shopping channels have joined the trend as well. Lotte Mart is offering two gift set products developed with Chef Choi Kang-rok during its Lunar New Year pre-order period, while Emart is developing new menu items, including a baek-jjamppong dish based on Chef Chun Sang-hyun’s recipe, targeting an April launch.