Cold snap causes early surge for winter foods

A container is filled with hoppang, or steamed buns, inside a convenience store in Seoul. [YONHAP]

Korea's convenience stores are witnessing an early surge in demand for seasonal winter foods in response to a sudden drop in temperatures this month.

Sales of classic winter treats like hoppang (steamed bun with red bean paste filling) surged by 42.8 percent from Oct. 1 to 5 compared to the previous week at CU convenience stores. Additionally, roasted sweet potatoes saw an increase of 40.8 percent in sales.

"Hoppang, which is regarded as a quintessential winter snack, actually tends to peak in sales during the early days of autumn when the weather starts to cool down," a CU spokesperson said. "Examining the sales trend of our hoppang from last year, sales during the initial release month in October were 48.7 percent higher than those in the heart of winter in January."

Hot beverages stored at heated food display cabinets such as ssanghwa tea, or a drink made with many different medicinal herbs (69.9 percent), honey water (42.2 percent) and soy milk (10.9 percent) have also seen increased demand.

The trend is not limited to consumables. Sales of thermal stockings and over-the-counter medicines for seasonal illnesses have both experienced notable growth, with increases of 30.3 percent and 20.4 percent, respectively.

Despite higher-than-average temperatures in the previous month, a sudden drop in perceived temperature occurred after the Chuseok harvest festival. In Seoul, for instance, the minimum temperature, which had been hovering around 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit) until the end of September, sharply plummeted to 12 to 14 degrees Celsius from Oct. 1 to 4, and further decreased to 9.9 degrees Celsius on Oct. 5.

At GS25 convenience stores, sales of hoppang from Sept. 29 to Oct. 5 skyrocketed by 488.5 percent compared to sales recorded from Sept. 15 to 22, just two weeks earlier. Bungeoppang (fish-shaped pastries commonly stuffed with red bean paste or choux cream) also increased by 184.2 percent in sales. GS25 also reported an uptick in customers seeking fishcakes (61 percent) and cabinet-stored heated beverages (32.6 percent).

The convenience store industry had introduced winter products several weeks ahead of the usual schedule.

CU launched hot packs in early September, approximately two months earlier than the norm, and showcased a range of around 20 winter clothing items including gloves, ear muffs and thermal pants. 7-Eleven and Emart24 quickly followed suit, stocking up on items like hoppang and fish cakes.

"In September, as the temperature variations become more noticeable, it's a unique time when the remnants of summer and the early signs of winter coexist," a 7-Eleven official said. "This is when convenience stores start gearing up to create their winter store displays."

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]