CU offers nine types of ultra-low-cost vegetables, including green onions and carrots, priced around 990 won.

There’s nothing you can’t find anymore even at convenience stores.

I've bought fruit a few times, and it was fresh.

Now, even ultra-low-cost vegetables have been released in 9 varieties...

I mainly ordered through rocket delivery and early morning delivery..

If it's really urgent, you can go to a convenience store and buy it right away, so it's convenient^^

 

The nine types of vegetables released by CU this time, including onions, green onions, garlic, and carrots, are all items frequently found on Korean dining tables and can be purchased for 990 won each. This is approximately 30% cheaper than the industry average price, making it a lowest price option. When calculated per gram, it is highly competitive compared to online and large supermarket prices.

The MD in charge of fruits and vegetables at CU monitors the constantly changing crop conditions and regularly manages the origin to enhance product freshness. The products are individually packaged in meal-sized portions suitable for 1-2 person households, further improving customer convenience.

According to the 'Consumer Price Trends for September' announced by the National Statistical Office this month, the price index for fresh vegetables last month was 146.65, an increase of 18.7% compared to the previous month (123.53). However, CU was able to offer the industry's lowest-priced vegetables through direct transactions and automated facilities.

BGF Retail, which operates CU, directly trades with the 'Maninsan Agricultural Cooperative Local Distribution Center,' a specialized distribution channel for vegetables, to increase lead time and minimize distribution margins. Additionally, the partner company utilizes eco-friendly and GAP (Good Agricultural Practices)-based equipment such as automatic packaging machines and multi-joint robots to significantly reduce the process of individually portioning raw materials, thereby increasing productivity and drastically lowering costs.

The reason CU is expanding its product lineup to include food ingredients priced at 990 won is because the increase in single-person households and the trend of shopping at convenience stores have become the main purchasing trends, leading to the demand for fresh foods previously bought at large supermarkets shifting to convenience stores.

In fact, CU's sales growth rate for ingredients compared to the previous year has shown a steep increase each year: 21.4% in 2021, 19.1% in 2022, 24.2% in 2023, and 16.9% for this year (January to September). CU has expanded its ingredient product items by over 30% compared to the previous year and is also focusing on launching small packages and small-volume ingredients tailored to the dietary needs of single-person households, including rice, fruits, and vegetables.

Yoon Seung-hwan, MD of BGF Retail HMR Team, said, "In response to the increased demand for home-cooked meals among one- to two-person households due to rising prices, we have significantly launched high-quality vegetables at cost-effective prices." He also stated, "We will continue to expand fresh ingredients to stabilize meal costs for customers in this era of high inflation."

<Source: NewsPim>