[THE INVESTOR] Sales of lunch boxes at convenience stores are increasing at a record pace, industry data showed Sept. 19.

CU said its sales of lunch boxes increased 2.98 times as of the end of August compared with the same period last year. The jump follows a 65.8 percent increase in 2015 for the year.

Helping the sales is the retail chain’s collaboration with popular chef Baek Jong-won, who selects the dishes that go into the boxes. One of the lunch products replaced soju, a rice liquor, and banana-flavored milk -- the two products that had been the top-selling items for CU for 27 years -- as the No. 1 seller at the start of this year.

“Our stores have been setting new daily records in sales of lunch boxes. It’s becoming hard work at production lines to keep up with the demand,” a company official said.

GS25 said its sales of boxed lunches increased 2.76 times as of the end of August. A year ago, they weren‘t even on the top 10 best seller list. This year, three of the lunch boxes have entered the list.

At 7-Eleven, the sales increase came to 2.54 times, with its signature lunch product placed at No. 5 among the best sellers.

(theinvestor@heraldcorp.com)