Korean Convenience Store Exclusives: The Best PB Products at CU, GS25, 7-Eleven and Emart24

Every Korean convenience store chain has its own private-label (PB) products you can’t buy anywhere else, and some of them sell in the tens of millions. If you only shop by brand names you recognize, you’ll miss the best stuff. Here are the hit exclusives at CU, GS25, 7-Eleven, and Emart24, with what they are, roughly what they cost, and why Koreans line up for them.

Photo: Ninanoday via Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Quick picks: At CU, get the Yonsei Milk Cream Bread. At GS25, try a Hyejaroun lunchbox or Omori Kimchi Jjigae Ramen. At 7-Eleven, look for the new tourist “edible souvenirs.” At Emart24, browse No Brand budget snacks.

CU: The Dessert and Highball Chain

Yonsei Milk Cream Bread (연세우유 생크림빵)

CU’s biggest-ever hit. A soft bun that’s roughly 80% cream filling, made with Yonsei University’s milk brand. It launched in January 2022 and passed 100 million units sold in April 2026, about 64,500 a day. There have been 39 flavor variations so far, so check the shelf for the current limited flavor. Expect to pay around ₩2,700–3,500 depending on the flavor.

HEYROO Deuktem (헤이루 득템) budget line

CU’s ultra-low-price range, including ₩990 daily nut packs and smoked duck for ₩2,900. The line passed 50 million units sold by the end of 2024. Great for cheap snacks for the hotel room.

Fresh Lemon Highball (생레몬 하이볼)

A canned highball with a real lemon slice inside that pops up when you open it. Launched in April 2024, the series has sold over 13 million cans and became CU’s #2 alcohol product. You must be of legal drinking age in Korea to buy it (see our convenience store tips below).

GS25: Lunchboxes and Ramyeon

Hyejaroun lunchboxes (혜자로운 도시락)

GS25’s famous value lunchboxes started in 2010 with beloved actress Kim Hye-ja, and “hyeja” became Korean slang for “great value.” After a relaunch in 2023, the line sold 100 million units in about three years. A full set meal with rice, meat, and several sides costs around ₩4,000–5,000. Heat it in the store microwave.

Omori Kimchi Jjigae Ramen (오모리 김치찌개라면)

A GS25 cup ramyeon made with aged kimchi from the Omori kimchi stew restaurant brand. It has sold over 100 million units since 2014 and is exported to 31 countries, but Korea is the easiest place to find it. A cheese stir-fry spin-off launched in June 2025 at ₩1,950.

YOUUS (유어스) and Real Price (리얼프라이스)

YOUUS is GS25’s main own brand (try the juicy Yukjeup Pangpang sausages, 10 million sold in 19 months). Real Price is its budget staples line, from eggs to milk, which hit ₩35 billion in sales in about nine months.

7-Eleven: Bread, Smoothies, and Souvenirs

Edible souvenirs for tourists (new in September 2026)

7-Eleven launched a souvenir snack line labeled in English, Chinese, and Japanese on September 23, 2026, after foreign-customer sales jumped 59%. The lineup:

Product	Korean name	Price
Rice crisp snack (original / kimchi)	우리쌀누룽지스낵	₩2,500
Mini rice yakgwa (honey cookies)	미니쌀약과	₩2,500
Jeju hallabong citrus wafer	제주한라봉웨이퍼	₩8,000

Seven Select Sumgyeol Loaf Bread (세븐셀렉트 숨결통식빵)

A soft milk loaf launched in April 2026 that sold 500,000 units in about two months. Perfect for a cheap breakfast.

In-store smoothie machine

Since March 2026, some 7-Eleven stores have a machine that blends frozen fruit cups into fresh smoothies on the spot. It sold around 1 million cups in six months. Not every store has one.

Emart24: No Brand at Convenience Store Prices

Emart24 is the only convenience store chain that sells No Brand, the yellow-packaged budget brand of Korea’s biggest supermarket, Emart. Since 2024 it has rolled out to over 1,000 stores, focusing on snacks under ₩1,000. In 2025 Emart24 also merged its own brands into a new line called ye!low, and it went big on the Dubai chocolate trend with more than 10 exclusive Dubai-style desserts in early 2026.

The 2026 Craze: Dubai Chewy Cookies (두쫀쿠)

If you see pistachio-green desserts everywhere, that’s the “Dubai chewy cookie” trend: pistachio cream and crispy kataifi pastry wrapped in a chewy, marshmallow-like shell. Every chain sells its own version, and limited ones sell out within minutes. They’re chilled desserts with a short shelf life, so eat them in Korea rather than packing them.

Tips for Buying Convenience Store Exclusives

Photo: Startandstar via Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Look for the chain’s logo or brand name on the package (HEYROO for CU, YOUUS for GS25, Seven Select for 7-Eleven, No Brand or ye!low for Emart24).
Check 1+1 and 2+1 stickers. Exclusives are often on promotion.
Hot food: lunchboxes go in the microwave by the counter. Look for the heating time printed on the lid.
Alcohol: you can buy alcohol from January 1 of the year you turn 19. Bring your physical passport, as staff may ask for ID.
Bags aren’t free. Say bongtu juseyo (봉투 주세요) if you need one; it costs a small fee.

Hungry for more? See what Koreans actually buy, ranked by sales, or our guide to Korea-only Buldak flavors at convenience stores.

Prices are approximate and vary by store and promotion. Exclusive products change often. Last checked: October 2026.