GS25 Leads the Dessert Market with New Marshmallow Desserts

Following the success of its Dubai chocolates earlier this year, GS25, operated by GS Retail in South Korea, is predicting a new dessert craze centered around marshmallows for the second half of the year. With texture becoming a key factor in the dessert market, following the crispy kadaif (shredded phyllo pastry) of the Dubai chocolates, soft and chewy marshmallows are now taking center stage.

Marshmallow-Fueled Dessert Trends

Marshmallow-related products launched by GS25 this fall are rapidly gaining popularity, generating significant buzz on social media. The ‘Smores Chocolate’ is a prime example; famous as a classic American camping treat, smores feature soft marshmallows melted into cookies. This product, dubbed the ‘second Dubai chocolate,’ sold approximately 16,000 units within two days of its launch and currently holds the number one spot in GS25’s chocolate category sales.

Marshmallow related products sold at GS25

Launch of Diverse Marshmallow Dessert Products

Launched on September 26th, ‘Gabijatime Choco Melo Tart’ has sold 150,000 units, and the ‘Gabijatime Smores Tart,’ released on October 14th, has also seen strong initial sales exceeding 30,000 units. This success demonstrates the high consumer appeal of marshmallows’ soft texture and sweetness.

GS25 plans to continue releasing various new marshmallow-based desserts. Two marshmallow cakes (black and white) in collaboration with Netflix’s ‘Black and White Chef’ will be launched at the end of October, followed by marshmallow butter bars and marshmallow cookies in early November.

Expanding on the Dubai Chocolate Success

In addition to marshmallow desserts, GS25 is preparing new expansion products to build on the success of the Dubai chocolates. On October 25th, a Caramel Pretzel Chocolate, featuring kadaif (shredded phyllo pastry) with caramel and pretzels, will be released. This chocolate, second in popularity in Dubai after the pistachio chocolate, is expected to be a major hit in South Korea.

GS25 Leading Dessert Trends

This year, GS25 has continuously introduced hit products reflecting trends such as ‘healthy pleasure,’ ‘collaboration,’ and ‘texture,’ establishing a unique position in the industry. In the first half of the year, Dubai chocolates and Seongsu bagels gained popularity, and in the second half, marshmallow desserts are leading the way in establishing new trends.

Specifically, from October 1st to 15th, GS25’s dessert sales increased by 70.2% year-on-year, and chocolate sales increased by 81.4%, demonstrating GS25’s dessert competitiveness. GS25 plans to continue rapidly introducing global trends and collaborating with popular content to continuously showcase differentiated products.

The Future of Trendsetting GS25

Choi Won-pil, MD of the GS25 Counter FF Team, stated, “The differentiated texture trend that began with Dubai chocolates is continuing with Smores Chocolate, and currently, soft marshmallow desserts are extremely popular with consumers. We will continue to collaborate with various trends and content to ensure GS25 establishes itself as a trendsetter in the dessert market.”