CU Hawaii Store Hits $29,000 Daily Sales, Faces Staff Shortage Despite $20 Hourly Wage

"Even with an average hourly wage of 20,000 won, finding local employees is like catching a star from the sky."

CU, which became the first Korean convenience store chain to enter the U.S. Hawaii market last month, is experiencing what it calls a "happy dilemma" amid stronger-than-expected customer response. Despite high wages, the company is struggling to hire enough local staff to handle the surge in customer demand. Hawaii's minimum wage stands at $14 (approximately 20,500 won), roughly double Korea's minimum wage of 10,030 won.

According to industry sources on January 10, the CU Downtown store in Honolulu, which opened on December 12 as the chain's first Hawaii location, is generating average daily sales of approximately 40 million won ($29,000).

This figure is four times the average sales of top-tier stores in Korea's prime locations (approximately 10 million won). Even accounting for price differences and exchange rates, the actual sales volume is estimated to be more than double that of domestic stores, analysts say. The figure is also more than five times higher than CU's initial sales in Mongolia and Southeast Asian markets such as Malaysia.

The CU Hawaii Downtown store is a large-format outlet spanning 231 square meters (approximately 70 pyeong), located in Honolulu's central business district. Even before the official opening, a queue stretching more than 30 meters formed outside the store, with some customers waiting over 30 minutes to enter. Customer traffic exceeded 1,000 on opening day and surpassed 2,000 on the second day. As customer service demands surged, headquarters staff dispatched to Hawaii were also deployed to sales and operations.

The most popular item during the first week was a Hawaii CU-exclusive tumbler, a design collaboration with renowned Hawaiian artist Sig Zane that sold out quickly after release. CU's private-brand products including Delaffe iced drinks, fresh lemon highball, and the Yonsei Cream Bread series also ranked among top-selling individual items. "Hangang Ramen," which can be cooked and eaten in-store, gained popularity through word-of-mouth among local workers and tourists, significantly boosting ramen sales.

Another notable trend is local consumers seeking value amid Hawaii's high cost of living, with strong demand for ready-to-eat items such as spam musubi rice balls, loco moco lunch boxes, and triangle kimbap.

CU plans to accelerate additional store openings centered on three key strategies: differentiated products, local collaboration products, and strategic K-food and K-beauty items to expand in the Hawaii market. BGF Retail (282330.KS), CU's operator, stated, "Considering the foot traffic and commercial district size in the area, as well as the growing popularity of K-food among Americans in their 20s and 30s, there is sufficient room for store expansion locally."

WKF Inc., the local company that signed a master franchise agreement with CU, operates in real estate development, media, and distribution, which is expected to further accelerate store openings. Hawaii's land area is approximately three times that of Gyeonggi Province (28,313 square kilometers), but Seven-Eleven is virtually the only convenience store brand currently operating there, with only about 40 locations.

Given these market conditions, CU views Hawaii as a "blue ocean" where market share can be expanded rapidly. Starting with its first Hawaii store, CU aims to expand to major tourist destinations including Waikiki Beach, with a goal of opening 50 new stores within the next three years.