Liquor and fruit have been among the most purchased items at convenience stores by foreign visitors in Gangwon Province, where the 2018 PyeongChang Games are being held, according to CU, South Korea‘s largest convenience store chain. 


Nearly 30 percent of the products sold at around 20 convenience stores of the chain near Olympic venues in PyeongChang and Gangneung in the period from Feb. 9-18 included wine, beer, hard liquor and soju, the chain’s sales data showed Tuesday.

When broken down by brands, the sales of Pudu, a local winemaker, were the highest among the alcohol beverages, followed by products from Yellow Tail Shiraz, Monets Classic, Absolut Vodka, Ballantine and Johnnie Walker. 

Over the same period, sales of instant noodles, bottles of mineral water and carbonated drink beverages marked 3.4 percent, 3.3 percent and 2.9 percent, respectively, among nearly 200 items sold at brick-and-mortar stores.

The sales of fruits ranked eighth at 2.6 percent among foreign tourists, athletes and visitors, according to the data, a surprisingly high figure when compared to the domestic average of less than 0.2 percent, the chain added.

Bak Se-hwan (sh@heraldcorp.com)