Instant ramen and influencers: Inside the world of South Korean convenience stores

Seoul, South Korea CNN —

Imagine this: you need to pick up a package, top up your metro card, grab lunch and take out some cash.

In most places, that would probably mean separate trips to the post office, the subway station, a restaurant and an ATM. But in South Korea, all that – and more – can be done at your nearest convenience store. And you probably won’t have to travel far to find one.

South Korea has become the global king of convenience stores, both online and off – with social media influencers and tourists joining locals in flocking to a rapidly growing number of stores across the country.

By the end of last year, there were more than 55,200 convenience stores in the nation of 52 million, according to the Korea Convenience Store Industry Association – roughly one for every 950 people.

That’s more than the total number of McDonald’s branches worldwide – and gives South Korea the highest density of stores per capita, overtaking Japan and Taiwan, both also famous for their abundant and versatile convenience stores.

“The convenience store industry in South Korea stands out for its remarkable density and innovative strategies,” said Chang Woo-cheol, a professor of tourism and the food service industry at Kwangwoon University in Seoul.

“They have become an essential retail channel, with the second-largest share in offline retail sales in the country.”

It’s a far cry from places like the United States, where convenience stores are usually attached to gas stations or strip malls and are rarely seen in residential areas, partly due to zoning laws. In large South Korean cities like Seoul, convenience stores are on every corner, sometimes with multiple outlets from competing companies dotting the same street.

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