Shake Shack opened its first Korean store in Gangnam on July 22. (image: SPC Group)
SEOUL, July 27 (Korea Bizwire) – Shake Shack, a New York-based casual restaurant chain, finally launched the first of its long-anticipated Korean franchises last week. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the launch was followed by soaring popularity and public interest in premium homemade burgers.
According to Gmarket, an e-commerce platform, sales of ‘hamburger makers’ skyrocketed by over 1,400 percent from July 19 to 25, compared to the same period in 2015. Hamburger makers are quick-and-easy kitchen devices that speed up the hamburger-making process by allowing all of the components of a burger to be assembled and cooked at the same time.
Gmarket’s sales of hamburger ingredients also increased dramatically in the same period.
Sales of lettuce increased by 874 percent, and peppers, by 653 percent. Sales of sliced cheese (125 percent), bacon (98 percent), homemade ham (33 percent), and tomatoes (15 percent), also increased.
Hamburger makers are quick-and-easy kitchen devices that speed up the hamburger-making process by allowing all of the components of a burger to be assembled and cooked at the same time. (image: Gmarket)
Products such as Coke and similar offerings (47 percent), Sprite and Sprite-like soft drinks (74 percent), salad packets (31 percent), and salad dressing (11 percent), all closely-associated with hamburgers, also saw sales increases.
Gmarket is currently offering a ‘hamburger-making’ bundle, which comes with buns, patties, cheese, and barbeque sauce, and a ‘bean-based hamburger patty’ for vegetarians, to meet different consumer needs. It also plans to set up a separate shopping category specific for hamburger patties, expecting the hype to convince more consumers to try making hamburgers at home.
“We believe that the sudden spike in burger-related sales is related to Shake Shack’s successful launch in Korea,” said a Gmarket official. “We’re seeing increased demand from consumers wanting to enjoy simple, homemade hamburgers that are healthier and more trustworthy.”
By Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
