[Edaily Reporter SHIN MIN JOON ] With chilly weather continuing in the mornings and evenings, the domestic convenience store industry has kicked off its winter sales season in earnest. To capture demand early, the industry has brought forward the launch of winter products—ranging from cold-weather clothing to seasonal foods—by at least one week and up to one month compared to previous years.

According to the convenience store industry on the 16th, CU, operated by BGF Retail, will unveil winter outerwear—including windbreakers, fleece jackets, and lightweight down jackets—on the 22nd. The three outerwear items are available in two sizes each (100 and 105) and come in a versatile black color. Modal underwear, touchscreen-compatible gloves, and ear muffs will also be released.

Since the 1st of this month, CU has been gradually introducing 19 types of winter clothing and accessories, including thermal socks and tights. Hot packs, a staple winter item, were released early on the 17th of last month. These “Be Careful of Wildfires Hot Packs,” developed in collaboration with the Korea Forest Service and the Korea National Park Service, come in three types: extra-large, pocket-sized, and patch-type.

As daily temperature fluctuations widen, sales of winter products are rising rapidly. From the 1st to the 15th of this month, CU’s hot pack sales surged 450.4% compared to the same period last year. During the same period, sales of tights and roasted sweet potatoes also increased by 86.3% and 74.1%, respectively.

GS Retail, operated by GS Holdings, will introduce five types of winter gear starting at the end of this month. It has also prepared unique items such as a fish-shaped blanket and strap-less ear muffs. Winter food items have been on sale in earnest since late last month. Popular items include ready-to-eat fish cakes, roasted sweet potatoes, fish-shaped buns, boiled eggs, and steamed buns. Among these, the launch of roasted sweet potatoes and ready-to-eat fish cakes was moved up by one week and two weeks, respectively, compared to previous years.

Starting on the 12th, the company also began offering quick-commerce delivery for winter snacks. Orders can be placed through the “Our Neighborhood GS” app, Coupang Eats, and Baemin. In particular, the delivery of fish-shaped buns is expected to expand the concept of “Bungse-gwon”—an area near one’s home or workplace where fish-shaped bun shops are located. This is because customers can have fish-shaped buns delivered to their homes by ordering via the app from a nearby GS25 store.

7-Eleven began full-scale sales of roasted sweet potatoes on the 14th of last month. This is eight days earlier than last year’s launch date of September 22. Aiming to meet winter demand, 7-Eleven also introduced its “Fruit Sandwich” series, a line of fruit-filled desserts. Following the launch of the “Sharur Fruit Sandwich”—which contains five whole Shine Muscat grapes—on the 29th of last month, the company released the “Okiki Fruit Sandwich,” featuring large chunks of orange and kiwi, on the 13th.

7-Eleven has also expanded its lineup of winter clothing. This move reflects the trend of convenience store fashion expanding from socks and underwear to everyday wear, including T-shirts, knitwear, and functional base layers. Key products include six styles of the 7-Select Cashmere Round-Neck Sweaters and 12 styles from the All Day On series of heated underwear.

E-MART Co., Ltd. plans to expand its winter clothing and accessories lineup to a total of 20 items this month by introducing lightweight down jackets, touchscreen-compatible gloves, and foldable ear muffs. The company has already been selling seven items, including tights and leggings, since the 18th of last month. The launch of this year’s winter products has been moved up by about a month compared to last year.

A convenience store industry official stated, “We brought forward the launch date compared to last year to quickly introduce products needed for winter in line with seasonal changes and customer demand,” adding, “We will continue to introduce products that carefully reflect customers’ seasonal needs.”