Dosirak reservation service booms

Dosirak lunch boxes reserved ahead of time have become a big business for convenience stores.

GS25 was the pioneer, offering the service in 2016. It was followed by 7-Eleven, and finally CU jumped on the dosirak reservation bandwagon.

At CU stores, sales of the lunch boxes jumped 25-fold in the month the service was offered nationwide, according to parent company BGF Retail.

The service benefits consumers, who no longer have to walk out empty-handed when their favorite dosirak is out of stock, but also the franchise store owners, who can better manage the stock.

It is also a useful method for the company to attract more users of its mobile app.

Majangmyeon, a type of noodles developed by comedian Lee Gyeong-gyu, was the most popular reserved dosirak, followed by vegan dosirak.

“CU’s service of making reservations for dosirak offers detailed information on the product and [its quality] through user comments and the evaluation system,” said a spokesperson for BGF Retail. CU “plans to expand the services that connect online and offline channels based on the app membership.”

7-Eleven has been offering the service since 2017. In September, the company decided to expand the types of products that could be reserved online to 60.

In addition to dosirak, 7-Eleven offers other types of food for reservation, including sandwiches and hamburgers. It also added home meal replacement products.

GS25 initiated the reservation service for fresh food in 2016. The service is particularly popular among those planning large picnics, according to the retailer. The total number of orders as of September hit 2.5 million.

A GS25 spokesperson said it plans to offer differentiated service by connecting online service with its offline stores.

BY JIN MIN-JI [jin.minji@joongang.co.kr]