Why Korean consumers are hot for jumbo-size food items 왜 한국소비자들은 대형식품에 열광할까

[김우정]

왜 한국소비자들은 대형식품에 열광할까?
편의점을 자주 이용하는 젊은 층들은 점보사이즈의 라면, 스낵, 커피를 선호합니다.
이제품들은 크기에 대비해서 가격이 좋아서 경제적으로 부담을 줄여줍니다.
편의점업계에서는 가격을 올리는 up selling전략으로 활용하고 있습니다.
 
Why Korean consumers are hot for jumbo-size food items
왜 한국소비자들은 대형식품에 열광할까?
 
By Ko Dong-hwan 고동환 기자
Posted : 2024-03-13 08:06 Updated : 2024-03-13 08:06
Korea Times

GS25's jumbo-size instant noodle products / Courtesy of GS Retail GS25의 점보사이즈 즉석국수제품 / GS레테일 제공

Price-competitive products gain popularity amid soaring inflation, high interest rates
물가 급등, 고금리 속에 가격 경쟁력 있는 상품 인기

Office worker Kim Soo-hyun's favorite place to go for lunch has long been convenience stores because of rising market prices coupled with a monthly income not high enough to enjoy restaurants. He chooses franchise convenience stores where there are a variety of options to choose from at affordable prices compared to restaurants. With convenience stores bustling with customers during lunchtime these days, he had to move swiftly to secure his items before the shelves were stripped bare.
직장인 김수현 씨가 점심식사로 가장 선호하는 곳은 오랫동안 편의점이었다. 그는 식당에 비해 저렴한 가격에 선택할 수 있는 옵션이 다양한 프랜차이즈 편의점을 선택한다. 점심시간이면 편의점이 손님으로 북적이는 요즘, 진열대가 비기 전에 물건을 확보하기 위해 발빠르게 움직여야 했다.

Lately, Kim has discovered more reasons to continue with the low-cost option. Some new products are now available in jumbo sizes previously unseen, offering the most competitive prices in the market. There were large-sized cup noodles, and snacks and coffee in substantial quantities, all priced affordably without imposing a significant financial strain.
최근에 김씨는 저가형을 계속해야 할 이유를 더 발견했다. 일부 신제품은 이전에는 볼 수 없었던 점보 사이즈로 출시되어 시장에서 가장 경쟁력 있는 가격을 제공한다. 큰 사이즈의 컵라면이 있었고, 스낵과 커피가 상당한 양으로 출시되었는데, 이는 모두 큰 경제적 부담 없이 저렴한 가격이었다.

"Having to use convenience stores almost everyday nowadays felt kind of sad at first, as I used to freely dine in restaurants before prices went up," Kim said. "But these new products that come in satisfactorily large sizes and varieties relieved me from worrying over what to eat. Besides, it's kind of fun trying these new products."
김씨는 "물가가 오르기 전에는 식당에서 자유롭게 식사를 하곤 했기 때문에 편의점을 매일 이용해야 하는 게 처음에는 좀 아쉬웠다"며 "하지만 크기와 종류가 만족스러울 정도로 다양한 신제품들이 나와서 뭘 먹어야 할지 고민이 덜었다."고 말했다. 게다가 신제품들을 먹어보는 것도 재미있다.

Convenience stores and other retailers with competitive prices in the country are betting on big-size food products to attract more customers amid soaring inflation and prolonged high interest rates. For consumers mindful of their daily expenditures, these jumbo products are offering a welcome relief.
치솟는 물가와 장기화된 고금리 속에서 국내에서 경쟁력 있는 가격을 가진 편의점과 다른 소매업체들은 더 많은 고객들을 끌어 모으기 위해 대형 식품에 베팅하고 있다. 일상적인 지출을 의식하는 소비자들을 위해, 이 점보 상품들은 환영 받는 안도감을 제공하고 있다.

The rising trend is not just helping consumers get through the financially challenging time. It's also proving advantageous for food producers, driving up profits, as noted by BGF Retail, operator of one of the nation's largest convenience franchises, CU.
상승 추세는 단지 소비자들이 경제적으로 어려운 시기를 헤쳐나가는 것을 돕는 것이 아니다. 국내 최대 편의점 중 하나인 CU의 운영자인 BGF리테일이 지적한 바와 같이, 이는 또한 식품 생산자들에게 유리함을 입증하며 수익을 높이고 있다.

CU launched its Giant Hot Dog on Sunday. Courtesy of BGF Retail 일요일, CU가 대형 핫도그를 출시했다. 

"Many convenience stores are releasing jumbo-sized packaged food products of various types because they not only help consumers save money amid high market prices, but also as the companies' upselling strategy to raise base prices and increase franchisees' sales," a company official said. "This large-size trend will continue for a while as we'll use our key products to meet more consumers' needs."
회사 관계자는 "많은 편의점들이 다양한 형태의 점보사이즈 포장식품을 출시하는 것은 높은 시장 가격 속에서 소비자들의 비용절감을 돕는 것은 물론 기준가격 인상과 가맹점 매출증대를 위한 업셀링 전략이 주효했기 때문,"이라며 "더 많은 소비자들의 니즈를 충족시키기 위해 핵심 제품을 활용할 것이기 때문에 이런 대형화 추세는 당분간 지속될 것"이라고 말했다.

On Sunday, CU released a lineup of 200 gram jumbo-sized Giant Hot Dogs. Compared to ordinary hot dogs that have been available, which are 80 grams on average, the new ones, each containing a 130 gram sausage, are more than double the total weight.
CU는 22일 점보 사이즈의 자이언트 핫도그 200g 라인업을 내놨다. 기존 핫도그(평균 80g)가 130g인 것과 비교하면 두 배가 넘는 무게다.

The brand also recently unveiled another giant-size product, triangular rice wrapped in seaweed, four times bigger than the conventional one. Last year, it launched "getAmericano," a watered-down espresso in a 520 milliliter cup, similar to Starbucks' venti size, for 1,700 won ($1.30). These products are part of the company's strategy to "go big" which began in 2014. As of February, the products' accumulative sales reached 80 million in number.
이 브랜드는 또한 최근 기존 제품보다 4배 큰 해조류로 싸인 또 다른 거대한 크기의 제품인 삼각김밥을 선보였다. 작년에 이 브랜드는 스타벅스의 벤티 사이즈와 비슷한 520 밀리리터 컵에 물을 탄 에스프레소인 "겟 아메리카노"를 1,700원(1.30달러)에 출시했다. 이 제품들은 2014년에 시작된 "크게 가기" 위한 이 회사의 전략의 일부이다. 2월 현재, 이 제품들의 누적 판매량은 8,000만 개에 이르렀다.

GS25, another major Korean convenience store franchise run by GS Retail, bet on instant noodles. Following the first product that put eight noodle bricks in one package becoming a blockbuster hit nationwide last year and having sold 1.7 million so far, the brand has introduced two other types of the same size. Altogether, they have sold over 2.7 million units.
GS리테일이 운영하는 편의점 GS25는 라면에 승부를 걸었다. 지난해 8개의 라면용기를 하나의 포장에 넣은 첫 상품이 전국적으로 대히트를 치고 지금까지 170만 개가 팔린 데 이어 같은 크기의 두 종류를 선보였다. 모두 합쳐 270만 개가 넘게 팔렸다.

Traders Wholesale Club, a wholesale brand by Shinsegae Group's E-Mart, saw rising sales of meat products at prices lower than market average by up to 15 percent. Their sales in January and February saw a 52 percent year-on-year increase.
신세계 그룹 이마트의 도매 브랜드인 트레이더스 홀세일 클럽은 시장 평균보다 낮은 가격의 육류 제품 판매가 최대 15% 증가했다. 그들의 1월과 2월 매출은 전년 동기 대비 52% 증가했다.

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