"Healthy pleasure" consumption is fueling growth in the convenience store ready-meal market, with high-protein kimbap and reduced-sugar, low-fat triangle kimbap leading the way.
GS25 said Monday that cumulative sales of its two high-protein kimbap products — tuna-egg kimbap and egg-mentaiko mayo kimbap — have surpassed 1.5 million units since their launch on April 28. The rolls were formulated with protein levels raised to around 15 grams and topped with half-oil mayonnaise, targeting customers who want a quick, filling meal while boosting their protein intake — a combination that has clearly resonated.
Over the same period, triangle kimbap products with reduced sugar and fat — including light tuna mayo and low-sugar Jeonju bibimbap varieties — also crossed 1 million in cumulative sales. The popularity of health-oriented ready meals has driven growth across the entire category: GS25 kimbap and triangle kimbap sales each rose 25 percent year-on-year from April 28 through July 24.
GS25 will release a cheese-pork-cutlet kimbap as the third entry in its high-protein kimbap series. Stuffed with protein string cheese and breaded pork cutlet, it delivers 17 grams of protein — the highest of any kimbap sold at GS25.
The health-food trend is spreading more broadly. An analysis of GS25's first-half sales data (January–June) found that protein drink sales surpassed banana milk for the first time. Protein drink sales climbed 26.8 percent year-on-year, coming in 3.7 percent ahead of banana milk, and outpaced chocolate milk and strawberry milk by 44.6 percent and 158 percent, respectively.
"As health-conscious consumption spreads, products like high-protein kimbap are establishing themselves as key items that generate new demand in the ready-meal segment," said Ahn Jin-ung, a merchandiser on GS Retail's FF team. "We will continue expanding our health-concept product lineup to attract new customers and grow the overall ready-meal category."
andy@heraldcorp.com
