The aesthetics of 10,000 won, the reconstruction of the ‘dog day war’ caused by polarization on the table > News

Convenience store GS25 is looking to completely shake up the health food market this year. Starting the season more than three weeks earlier than usual, they took a leap of faith by diversifying their menu beyond simply selling samgyetang. We expanded the range of choices by introducing 9 types of menus, including eel rice bowl, grilled whole chicken, and sujidogani soup, which is the result of accurately reading consumer data showing that consumption of health food is no longer limited to samgyetang. In fact, the fact that health foods other than samgyetang accounted for more than 60% of sales on Boknal last year proves that modern people value individual tastes and diversity even in health foods.

The core of the cost-effectiveness strategy is the price competitiveness of less than 10,000 won. In a situation where the burden of eating out has increased due to high inflation, the reason why consumers visit convenience stores is clear. GS25 has set the prices of its flagship products, freshwater eel rice bowl and electric grilled whole chicken, all at less than 10,000 won, drastically reducing the burden on shopping carts. In addition, aggressive promotions such as the Harim Samgyetang 1+1 event are extremely attractive to single-person households and young people who are tired of the high cost of eating out. Beyond simply selling cheap food, efforts to improve quality, such as oven cooking and repeated seasoning processes, are considered to have raised the level of convenience store health food to the next level.

On the other hand, Hotel Shilla's actions targeting the premium market show a contrasting luxury strategy. The gift set launched targeting the first half of the year uses the highest quality ingredients, such as boiled chicken, abalone, and antibiotic-free Korean beef, and aims to provide ‘hotel-quality health food’ that can be enjoyed at home. Rather than simply selling food, we focus on providing an experience that presents the value of ‘having a healthy summer’. Advance reservations through online mall ‘The Shilla Shop’ and direct delivery service by professional delivery staff embody the trust and quality that customers expect from the brand. By including the black ginseng product line, which was popular as a holiday gift, as a health food, the hotel industry succeeded in expanding Dog Day into a new premium gift market.

Changes in the health food market are in line with not only consumption trends but also changes in awareness of food ingredients. Experts advise that although the custom of eating chicken on Dog Day is centered around broiler chicken, interest should now increase in foods with excellent meat quality and savory taste, such as native chicken. The prejudice that native chicken is tough is just a misunderstanding due to the texture of waste chicken. Native chicken that has gone through a proper breeding process can make excellent dishes even without a pressure cooker. In this way, as consumers simultaneously pursue 'health' and 'taste', which are the essence of health food, the ways to enjoy Dog Day are becoming smarter and more diverse, such as taking advantage of discount events on delivery platforms or comparing and purchasing meal kits and gift sets.