GS25, the convenience store chain run by GS Retail, said on the 23rd that it will begin selling this year's first-harvested sweet potatoes from Haenam and Naju on the 25th. They are priced at 2,000 won.
GS25 is launching the fresh sweet potatoes about a week earlier than in previous years. As abnormally high temperatures and the monsoon season pushed up the harvest at growing areas compared with last year, GS25 moved up its release date accordingly. The company said the sweet potatoes are high in sweetness and, when roasted, deliver a moist yet fluffy texture, reflecting the growing conditions in Haenam and Naju, where sunlight is abundant and red-clay soil is well developed.
As sweet potatoes have become a year-round snack amid the healthy pleasure trend, GS25 sells them throughout the year in line with harvest timing and storage characteristics. From January to July this year, daily sales per store at GS25 outlets carrying roasted sweet potatoes rose 103% from a year earlier.
This year, GS25 purchased about 800 tons of sweet potatoes from growing areas including Haenam and Naju. It introduces fresh sweet potatoes in August, sells those harvested through October as roasted sweet potatoes in winter, and then offers sweet potatoes that have gone through storage and ripening into the following spring and summer.
To meet year-round demand for roasted sweet potatoes, GS25 is also extending a promotion tied to its Cafe25 brand through the end of the year. Under the "Cafe25 Americano Combo" event running since April, customers who buy a roasted sweet potato can purchase a Cafe25 iced (L) or hot (M) Americano at a 1,000-won discount.
"This year we moved up the release of fresh sweet potatoes to match the early harvest at growing areas and secured sufficient volume in advance," said Bae Seung-seop, a merchandiser on GS25's refrigerated and frozen team. "We will maintain a stable supply so that roasted sweet potatoes, a signature winter snack, can be enjoyed regardless of the season, while continuing to expand customer touchpoints through various sales channels."
