Emart24's "Chef Park Eun-young Mala Xiang Guo" is gaining strong traction through word-of-mouth on social media and online communities.
According to retail industry sources on the 15th, the product has attracted growing interest as reviews from customers who purchased and tried it continue to appear on social media, blogs, and online communities.
The product, branded "Goddess Mala Xiang Guo," was developed in collaboration with Chef Park Eun-young, known as the "Goddess of Chinese Cuisine." It features mala sauce with various toppings including fish cake, shrimp, and sausage, delivering the signature spicy flavor of mala xiang guo with a subtle wok-fired aroma.
Since its February 11 launch, sales increased 62% in the second week (February 23-March 1) compared to the previous week, then surged 180% in the third week (March 2-8).
While new products typically take about a month to stabilize sales, this item reached the top of the ready-to-eat food category within one week of launch, driven by voluntary customer reviews and viral word-of-mouth. Sales continue to rise.
Customers have left positive reviews including: "The mala aroma is surprisingly authentic for a convenience store product," "Excellent value for money," "The variety of toppings exceeded expectations," and "Great as a meal or drinking snack."
The number of customers checking store inventory through the Emart24 app has also increased significantly. Since February 24, "mala xiang guo" and "Park Eun-young" have ranked first and second in search popularity on the mobile app.
In response to growing demand, Emart24 will launch pre-order sales through its mobile app starting 10 a.m. on Monday the 16th. Customers can pay in advance and pick up at their preferred time.
Mala xiang guo typically costs at least 10,000 won at specialty restaurants, with prices rising based on additional ingredients. Emart24 attributes the product's success to its accessible single-serving price of 6,900 won and restaurant-quality flavor.
Emart24 launched five ready-to-eat items last month in collaboration with Chef Park, based on the concept of "approachable and convenient Chinese and fusion Chinese cuisine."
The Chef Park Eun-young line includes: "Goddess Mala Xiang Guo"; "Sichuan-style Chicken Galbi Set" (6,400 won) featuring spicy chicken seasoned with doubanjiang and mapo oil; "Gyeseonjang Gimbap" (3,700 won) with savory hoisin sauce; "The Big Kung Pao Chicken Triangle Gimbap" (2,200 won) combining spicy chicken with nutty peanut flavor; and "Cantonese-style Sweet and Sour Chicken Burger" (4,200 won) with ketchup-based sweet and sour sauce and Cantonese soy-garlic sauce.
"Through our collaboration with Chef Park Eun-young, who makes Chinese cuisine approachable, we aimed to lower the barriers to Chinese food and expand convenience store meal options," said Ko Dae-wan, merchandiser at Emart24's FF Team. "With mala flavor becoming a soul food for those in their teens and twenties, the value-priced mala xiang guo product incorporating Chef Park's Chinese cuisine expertise appears to be gaining significant popularity."