GS25 sells 28 mn units of Hyeja-branded lunchboxes, kimbap

[Courtesy of GS25]

South Korean convenience store chain GS25 announced Monday that it sold 28 million units of lunchboxes and other instant food products named after the famous actress Kim Hye-ja within a year since their re-release in February 2023.

The Hyeja lunchbox, first introduced in 2010, gained immense popularity among consumers as it offers a good-value meal for money.

The Hyeja brand lunchboxes dominated the golden age of convenience store lunchboxes, accumulating sales of 1 trillion won ($750 million) over about seven years until the first half of 2017.

GS25, by relaunching the Hyeja Brand last year and expanding the category from lunchboxes to include kimbap, rice balls, and bread, achieved a cumulative sales quantity of 28 million units as of February 15, marking a one-year milestone.

This translates to an average of over 77,000 units per day, about 53.3 units sold per minute.

The direct sales effect amounts to about 1.1 trillion won, contributing to a 51 percent jump in overall lunchbox sales compared to the previous year.

GS25 attributes the success of the Hyeja brand to factors such as the good value for money associated with the lunchboxes, the actress’s role as a World Vision ambassador, her contributions to social responsibility activities, and the ongoing partnerships with GS Retail and collaborating companies.

The repurchase rate for the Hyejaropda lunchbox stands at 38.6 percent, demonstrating its continued popularity and customer satisfaction.