Gitnux/Report 2026

Korea Convenience Store Industry Statistics

CU led with a 27.7% market share by store count in 2023—and 75% of buys were impulse snacks and drinks. See what fuels demand.
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July 18, 2026Updated
Korea Convenience Store Industry Statistics
Ryan TownsendWritten by Ryan Townsend·Edited by Elena Vasquez·Fact-checked by Jonathan Hale
Published ·Updated
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Convenience stores in South Korea are shaped by fierce competition and by how often people depend on quick, everyday stops. In 2023, 68% of Koreans visited at least three times weekly, while average trips totaled 12.4 times per month. Millennials (25–39) made up 48% of shoppers, helping define the industry’s core purchase habits.

Key Takeaways

  • CU held 27.7% market share by store count in 2023, leading all competitors
  • GS25 captured 27.0% share, closing gap with CU by 0.7 points in 2023
  • 7-Eleven's market share was 17.5%, focusing on premium services in 2023
  • In 2023, 68% of South Koreans visited convenience stores at least 3 times weekly, up from 62% in 2022
  • Average visit frequency was 12.4 times per month per person in 2023 Nielsen survey
  • 75% of purchases were impulse buys in 2023, mainly snacks and drinks
  • In 2023, South Korea had 58,418 convenience stores nationwide, reflecting a 1.8% year-over-year increase from 57,380 in 2022
  • As of December 2023: July 2026: June 2026, CU operated 16,200 stores, maintaining its lead as the largest chain with a 27.7% market share
  • GS25 held 15,800 stores by end-2023, achieving a 27.0% market share after expanding by 1,100 net new outlets
  • In 2023, total sales revenue for South Korea's convenience store industry reached 29.8 trillion KRW, a 5.1% increase from 28.4 trillion KRW in 2022
  • CU's 2023 sales were 8.2 trillion KRW, up 6.3% YoY, driven by private label products
  • GS25 reported 7.9 trillion KRW in sales for 2023, with 4.8% growth from ready-to-eat meals
  • In 2023, CU's store-level operating costs averaged 320 million KRW annually
  • GS25 franchisees paid 45 million KRW monthly rent on average in urban areas 2023
  • Utility expenses for a typical 100sqm store were 15 million KRW yearly in 2023

In 2023, CU led Korea’s convenience store market, with broader shopper habits and faster digital growth reshaping competition.

Related reading

01 · Category

Competitive Landscape27 stats

01
CU held 27.7% market share by store count in 2023, leading all competitors
02
GS25 captured 27.0% share, closing gap with CU by 0.7 points in 2023
03
7-Eleven's market share was 17.5%, focusing on premium services in 2023
04
Emart24 maintained 14.6% share with innovative PB products in 2023
05
Ministop held 4.2% share after acquiring 300 stores in 2023 mergers
06
Top 5 chains controlled 92.5% of market outlets in 2023 consolidation
07
CU's new store openings outpaced rivals by 20% at 1,200 in 2023
08
GS25 invested 500 billion KRW in store remodels vs CU's 420 billion in 2023
09
7-Eleven led in app downloads with 18 million users in 2023 competition
10
Emart24's loyalty points redemption rate was highest at 42% in 2023
11
Price wars reduced average drink prices by 5% across chains in 2023
12
CU exclusive brands numbered 1,500 SKUs vs GS25's 1,200 in 2023
13
7-Eleven pioneered robot delivery in 50 stores, ahead of others in 2023
14
Emart24 expanded urban mini-stores to 1,200, niche vs full-size rivals 2023
15
GS25's cafe seating ratio was 65% higher than average in 2023
16
Market concentration ratio (CR5) rose to 92.5% from 90% in 2022
17
Ministop gained 0.5% share via rural focus strategy in 2023
18
International entrants like FamilyMart eyed 5% share by 2025 post-2023
19
CU franchise satisfaction scored 8.2/10 vs industry 7.8 in 2023 survey
20
GS25 led ad spend at 300 billion KRW in 2023 marketing battle
21
7-Eleven's Slurpee loyalty drove 15% higher repeat visits in 2023 data
22
Emart24's dessert category share beat rivals by 8% in 2023
23
Top chains' store remodel rate was 18% annually in 2023 upgrade race
24
CU's supply chain efficiency scored 92% vs GS25 89% in 2023 benchmark
25
7-Eleven app integration with Kakao led user growth 25% in 2023
26
Emart24 rural penetration grew 12% faster than urban peers 2023
27
GS25 EV station partnerships doubled to 1,000 in 2023 green race
Interpretation

Competitive Landscape Interpretation

In Korea’s convenience store competitive landscape, CU and GS25 nearly split the market with 27.7% and 27.0% share respectively in 2023, while the top five chains together controlled 92.5% of outlets, underscoring intense scale-driven rivalry.

03 · Category

Market Overview30 stats

01
In 2023, South Korea had 58,418 convenience stores nationwide, reflecting a 1.8% year-over-year increase from 57,380 in 2022
02
As of December 2023: June 2026, CU operated 16,200 stores, maintaining its lead as the largest chain with a 27.7% market share
03
GS25 held 15,800 stores by end-2023, achieving a 27.0% market share after expanding by 1,100 net new outlets
04
7-Eleven Korea managed 10,200 stores in 2023, with a 17.5% market share following 800 new openings
05
Emart24 ran 8,500 stores as of 2023, capturing 14.6% market share amid aggressive urban expansion
06
The convenience store density in South Korea reached 1 store per 890 residents in 2023, highest in Asia
07
Total industry sales volume hit 28.5 trillion KRW in 2023, up 4.2% from 27.3 trillion KRW in 2022
08
Convenience stores accounted for 25% of all retail food sales in South Korea in 2023
09
Rural areas saw a 12% decline in convenience store openings from 2022-2023, totaling only 450 new stores
10
Seoul metropolitan area hosted 65% of all convenience stores, with 38,000 outlets in 2023
11
Franchise fee for new CU stores averaged 150 million KRW in 2023
12
Average store size for convenience stores was 110 square meters in 2023, up 5 sqm from 2020
13
24-hour operation rate among convenience stores was 98.5% in 2023 survey
14
Foreign-owned chains like 7-Eleven grew by 15% in store count from 2019-2023
15
Independent non-franchise stores dropped to 2% of total market in 2023
16
Gyeonggi Province had 12,500 convenience stores, 21% of national total in 2023
17
Busan region's convenience store count reached 4,200 in 2023, up 3%
18
Incheon saw 3,800 stores, density of 1 per 750 residents in 2023
19
Daegu had 3,200 convenience stores, growing 2.1% YoY in 2023
20
Convenience store penetration in apartments over 300 units was 95% in 2023
21
EV charging stations at convenience stores numbered 5,200 in 2023, up 40% YoY
22
Total floor space of all convenience stores summed to 6.4 million sqm in 2023
23
New store openings totaled 4,200 in 2023, net after 2,100 closures
24
Store saturation index in Gangnam-gu, Seoul was 1 per 500 residents in 2023
25
Jeju Island convenience stores grew to 1,100, serving 5% tourist surge in 2023
26
Nationwide average distance to nearest convenience store was 350 meters in 2023
27
Female-owned franchise stores increased to 28% in 2023 from 22% in 2020
28
Youth entrepreneurs (under 35) ran 15% of new stores opened in 2023
29
Corporate-owned stores ratio was 35% for top chains in 2023
30
2023 saw 1.2 million daily transactions across all convenience stores
Interpretation

Market Overview Interpretation

In 2023 South Korea reached 58,418 convenience stores nationwide and a density of one store per 890 residents, and the market is still tightly led by the largest chains like CU with 27.7 percent share, showing how fierce competition and rapid outlet growth are defining the industry’s market landscape.

More related reading

04 · Category

Sales And Revenue26 stats

01
In 2023, total sales revenue for South Korea's convenience store industry reached 29.8 trillion KRW, a 5.1% increase from 28.4 trillion KRW in 2022
02
CU's 2023 sales were 8.2 trillion KRW, up 6.3% YoY, driven by private label products
03
GS25 reported 7.9 trillion KRW in sales for 2023, with 4.8% growth from ready-to-eat meals
04
7-Eleven Korea's revenue hit 5.1 trillion KRW in 2023, boosted by 7% average ticket rise
05
Emart24 achieved 4.7 trillion KRW sales in 2023, up 3.9% amid coffee sales surge
06
Average daily sales per store was 12.5 million KRW in 2023 industry-wide
07
Food category generated 62% of total sales, totaling 18.5 trillion KRW in 2023
08
Beverage sales contributed 18% or 5.4 trillion KRW to 2023 totals
09
Daily necessities sales were 3.2 trillion KRW, 11% of market in 2023
10
Tobacco sales declined 8% to 1.1 trillion KRW in 2023 due to regulations
11
Private label products sales grew 22% to 4.8 trillion KRW in 2023
12
Online delivery sales via apps reached 2.1 trillion KRW, 7% of total in 2023
13
Average transaction value rose to 5,800 KRW in 2023 from 5,500 KRW in 2022
14
Peak sales hour (7-9 PM) accounted for 28% of daily revenue in 2023
15
Winter season (Dec-Feb) sales were 32% higher than summer average in 2023
16
CU's same-store sales growth was 4.2% in 2023
17
GS25's urban stores averaged 15 million KRW daily sales in 2023
18
7-Eleven's Slurpee sales contributed 150 billion KRW in 2023
19
Emart24's bakery items generated 450 billion KRW, 9.5% of chain sales in 2023
20
Credit card transactions made up 68% of sales value, totaling 20.3 trillion KRW in 2023
21
Mobile payment ratio surged to 42% of transactions in 2023
22
Lottery sales added 900 billion KRW to industry revenue in 2023
23
Gift certificate redemptions totaled 1.2 trillion KRW across stores in 2023
24
Export-oriented sales from airport convenience stores hit 50 billion KRW in 2023
25
2023 Q4 sales grew 7.2% QoQ due to holiday spending, reaching 7.9 trillion KRW
26
Per capita convenience store spending was 580,000 KRW annually in 2023
Interpretation

Sales And Revenue Interpretation

In 2023 South Korea’s convenience store industry posted 29.8 trillion KRW in sales, up 5.1% year over year, showing steady revenue growth alongside strong momentum from players driven by items like private label and ready to eat meals that support the 12.5 million KRW average daily sales per store.

05 · Category

Store Operations30 stats

01
In 2023, CU's store-level operating costs averaged 320 million KRW annually
02
GS25 franchisees paid 45 million KRW monthly rent on average in urban areas 2023
03
Utility expenses for a typical 100sqm store were 15 million KRW yearly in 2023
04
Staff wages totaled 180 million KRW per store per year in 2023 minimum wage hike
05
Inventory turnover rate was 25 times annually for top chains in 2023
06
Average stockout rate for fresh foods was 3.2% in 2023 supply chain audit
07
Delivery truck fleet for CU exceeded 2,500 vehicles in 2023 operations
08
POS system upgrade rate reached 92% across industry in 2023 digital push
09
Refrigeration energy consumption averaged 12 kWh per sqm daily in 2023
10
Theft loss was 0.8% of sales, or 240 billion KRW industry-wide in 2023
11
Staff turnover rate averaged 65% annually for franchise stores in 2023
12
Training hours per new employee were 40 hours in 2023 standardized programs
13
Waste recycling rate hit 75% mandated by 2023 environmental regs
14
Shelf space for promotions averaged 25% of total display in 2023
15
Peak staffing was 4 employees per shift during lunch rush in 2023
16
Maintenance costs per store were 25 million KRW yearly in 2023
17
IoT sensor adoption for temp control was 68% in 2023 smart store wave
18
Average uptime for refrigeration units was 99.2% in 2023 reliability study
19
Cleaning supply costs rose 15% to 8 million KRW per store in 2023 inflation
20
Vending machine integration occurred in 15% of stores by 2023
21
Security camera coverage was 95% with AI analytics in top 50% stores 2023
22
Packaging material costs per store hit 12 million KRW annually in 2023
23
Supplier payment terms averaged 45 days for major chains in 2023
24
Night shift solo operation rate was 72% in small stores 2023 survey
25
Digital signage installation reached 55% of stores in 2023
26
Food waste per store was 150kg monthly under 2023 reduction goals
27
Franchise royalty fees were 5-7% of gross sales average in 2023
28
EV charger installation costs averaged 20 million KRW per unit in 2023
29
Peak hour queue length averaged 2.1 minutes wait in 2023
30
Water usage per store was 4,500 liters monthly in 2023 efficiency audit
Interpretation

Store Operations Interpretation

In 2023, store operations in Korea’s convenience store chains were tightly controlled by high inventory speed and disciplined costs, with top chains turning inventory 25 times annually and fresh-food stockouts held to 3.2% while typical store expenses ran around 320 million KRW in annual operating costs for CU and about 15 million KRW yearly for utilities on a 100 sqm site.
Reference

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Ryan Townsend. (2026, February 13). Korea Convenience Store Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/korea-convenience-store-industry-statistics
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Ryan Townsend. "Korea Convenience Store Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/korea-convenience-store-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Ryan Townsend. 2026. "Korea Convenience Store Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/korea-convenience-store-industry-statistics.

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