![A promotional image shows Coupang Eats quick-commerce delivery service operating out of a GS25 store. [GS25]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/08/07/news-p.v1.20260518.3c05a3a36aa14710a536b9d0af54f70b_P1.jpg)
Kim, a worker in his 30s, did not step outside once during last weekend's peak heatwave. Instead, he relied on convenience store quick-commerce to get his meals delivered. "There's a convenience store a 10-minute walk away, but it was too hot to even think about going out," he said. "The delivery arrived within 30 minutes of ordering, so I plan to use it again."
Kang, a Seoul-based worker in her 40s, ordered chicken and convenience store desserts late Wednesday night as the heat and tropical nights refused to let up. She would normally have walked to the convenience store inside her apartment complex, but with temperatures refusing to drop below 30 degrees Celsius, a 2,900-won delivery fee felt well worth it. She filled her order with pudding and pouch drinks she likes to meet the minimum order amount.
As temperatures approached a record 40 degrees Celsius this month, convenience store chains have been reaping the benefits of the extreme heat — driven by a sharp jump in sales of quick-commerce services that deliver orders within about an hour.
Industry data released Friday show major convenience store chains have seen quick-commerce sales surge since the start of the month. GS25 said its total quick-commerce sales — including both delivery and in-store pickup — jumped 56.8 percent year-on-year from Aug. 1 through Aug. 5. Delivery sales alone, excluding pickup, surged 102.3 percent over the same period and were up 20.1 percent from the previous month, as more consumers chose to stay home and order rather than venture out.
By category, children's beverage sales jumped 464.8 percent from a year earlier, followed by 1.5-liter sports drinks (up 161.9 percent), ice cups (123.4 percent) and ice cream (104.5 percent). Among individual items, the XL-size ice cup was the top seller, followed by the Eol Baksa energy drink, Omori kimchi stew cup ramyun, Coca-Cola Zero 1.5-liter bottles and Buldak stir-fried noodle cup ramyun.
CU's delivery sales from Aug. 1 through Aug. 5 also jumped 302.2 percent year-on-year and 16.8 percent from the previous month. Ice cream led the gains with a 662.9 percent year-on-year increase, followed by cup ice (477.2 percent), carbonated drinks (410.0 percent), sports and electrolyte drinks (402.1 percent), bottled water (386.6 percent) and cooling arm sleeves (314.3 percent).
Quick-commerce sales also climbed sharply during last month's monsoon season. GS25 said its quick-commerce sales rose 20 percent from the prior month during the heavy-rain period from July 1 to July 9. CU's delivery sales jumped 31.0 percent over the same stretch.
E-mart24 said delivery sales on days with 10 millimeters or more of rainfall nationwide from May through July this year were about 22 percent higher than on dry days. Days when Seoul's daytime high reached 30 degrees Celsius or above also saw delivery sales run about 20 percent higher than on cooler days.
Convenience stores, centered on physical locations, are highly sensitive to weather. Periods of extreme heat or heavy rain that discourage outdoor activity have traditionally been classified as slow seasons for the industry. But recent growth in quick-commerce sales is helping offset that weather-driven drag.
Quick-commerce is establishing itself as a new trend in the convenience store industry, driven by demand for fast delivery and ease of use. Convenience stores are particularly well suited to rapid delivery thanks to their dense store networks compared with other retail channels. CU's quick-commerce sales in the first half of this year jumped 123.1 percent year-on-year. GS25 (up 98.3 percent), Seven-Eleven (56 percent) and E-mart24 (198.7 percent) posted similarly strong gains over the same period.
All four convenience store chains currently offer quick-commerce through their own apps as well as delivery platforms including Baemin and Coupang Eats, and are expanding the platforms they list on and extending operating hours. GS25 and CU partnered with Coupang Eats in May to launch 24-hour delivery service, and E-mart24 and Seven-Eleven have since introduced round-the-clock operations as well. At Seven-Eleven, quick-commerce sales during late-night hours — 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. — from Aug. 1 through Aug. 5 were up 63 percent compared with the same period in January.
"The ability to get fast delivery without visiting a store in person is the key advantage of quick-commerce," an industry official said. "The recent monsoon season and heatwave have also been drawing in new customers who are trying the service for the first time."
korean@heraldcorp.com
