A New Standard for Chinese Cuisine in Korean Convenience Stores: A Special Collaboration Between GS25 and Chef Lee Yeon-bok

GS25 is making waves in the ready-to-eat Chinese food market with renowned Korean Chinese chef Lee Yeon-bok. In June, GS25 partnered with Chef Lee, aiming to provide "a delicious meal for everyone," and this month, that partnership has finally borne fruit. Through this collaboration, GS25 is launching three refrigerated ready-to-eat meals, offering customers a new taste of Chinese cuisine.

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Chef Lee explained that this collaboration aims to present "fusion Chinese cuisine that stays true to the basics while incorporating new innovations." He stated his intention to offer customers the deep flavors of Chinese cuisine and the joy of new tastes. These products are generating significant anticipation, emphasizing the depth of flavor one would expect from a high-end Chinese restaurant, despite being sold in a convenience store.

The flagship products from the GS25 and Chef Lee collaboration are: △Lee Yeon-bok Ziran Galbi (Spicy Pork Ribs), △Shrimp Jjamppong Soup, and △Spicy Chinese Stir-fried Jjamppong. The Lee Yeon-bok Ziran Galbi features pork ribs simmered in a Chinese-style sauce and served with a special Ziran seasoning, offering a fragrant and slightly pungent flavor. Priced at ₩8,500, it's on the higher end for convenience store ready-to-eat meals, but its quality makes it a compelling option.

The Shrimp Jjamppong Soup boasts a spicy broth based on chili powder and chili oil, generously filled with fresh shrimp, pine cone squid, mussels, and other seafood. An added chili oil is included to enhance the flavor to your preference. Priced at ₩5,900, this offers a level of seafood Jjamppong soup rarely found in convenience stores.

Finally, the Spicy Chinese Stir-fried Jjamppong, described by the chef himself as a "deliciously addictive flavor you'll crave," combines chewy Chinese noodles with a savory stir-fried Jjamppong sauce, resulting in a highly addictive dish. Priced at ₩3,900, it's a great opportunity to enjoy a high-quality Chinese dish at a reasonable price.

To celebrate the launch, GS25 is offering a special discount. From the 10th to the 13th, pre-ordering through the GS Retail app, "Our Neighborhood GS," will get you a 40% discount on each item. Until the end of the month, buying two or more items in-store gets you a 30% discount, and three or more gets a 40% discount. This provides a great opportunity for customers to enjoy Chef Lee's ready-to-eat Chinese meals at a more affordable price.

Additionally, GS25 plans to launch an authentic Chinese fried rice in mid-October, further expanding its Chinese food menu. This effort is expected to be a significant milestone for GS25, setting a new standard for Chinese cuisine in the convenience store industry.

GS25 is currently showcasing a variety of unique and differentiated products through collaborations with various IPs, resulting in significant new customer acquisition. Indeed, from January to September this year, sales of GS25's refrigerated and frozen ready-to-eat meals increased by 65.5% year-on-year, demonstrating significant success.

Hong Sung-jun, head of GS Retail's Convenience MD division, stated, "We are thrilled to be able to offer customers the best ready-to-eat Chinese food through our collaboration with Chef Lee Yeon-bok." He continued, "We will continue to develop various high-quality menus so that GS25 can become a renowned Chinese food destination."

The collaboration between GS25 and Chef Lee Yeon-bok is expected to lead a new trend in the convenience store ready-to-eat Chinese food market, and anticipation is high for the upcoming menu additions.