Foreign K-pop fans flock to convenience stores to buy albums in bulk

GS25 and other convenience store chains have found a new revenue stream in foreign K-pop fans who buy CDs in bulk to amass the randomized accompanying merchandise.

Customers line up at a GS25 store in Seodaemun District, western Seoul, to buy K-pop albums. [GS RETAIL]

Convenience store chains have found a new revenue stream in overseas K-pop fans, catering to a crowd that tends to buy multiple copies of the same album for their randomized merchandise and as souvenirs to bring home.

Foreign customers accounted for over half of all K-pop album pre-order sales made through GS25’s mobile application, Our Neighborhood GS, the store's operator GS Retail said Monday.

They bought 47 albums each on average, 2.6 times the amount purchased by domestic buyers.

The sales derived from the eight times GS25 sold albums with exclusive merchandise included in the CDs bought from the convenience store, which began with the sale of boy band Enhypen’s fifth EP “Orange Blood” last year.

GS Retail attributed the high demand to the randomized merchandise packaged with each CD such as photocards and stickers, as fans would buy multiple copies to get different versions, as well as the albums’ popularity as souvenirs. The company said the albums are available for purchase or pickup in stores at Incheon International Airport and near popular tourist spots so that they will be more accessible to overseas customers.

It plans to partner with entertainment agencies to exclusively sell K-pop albums at stores at least once per month starting next year.

GS25 is just one of the convenience store chains that have tapped into a revenue model that sells entertainment intellectual property (IP) products, most with a lucky draw system.

BGF Retail, operator of CU, signed a deal with YG Entertainment subsidiary YG Plus last year to sell products that use YG artists’ IP in its stores. It also operated on-site lucky draws exclusively at branches in Mapo District, western Seoul, for boy band Tomorrow X Together in October of last year. Emart24 exclusively sold preorders of pianist Lim Yun-chan’s debut studio album and girl group STAYC’s first full-length album with exclusive merchandise, while 7-Eleven started selling K League Panini cards from last September, the first to do so in the industry.

BY KIM JU-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]