Convenient meals drive sales

[Anchor]

These days, many people are heading to department stores for food.

With more consumers seeking convenient meals, department store food halls are rolling out a wide variety of services to meet this demand.

Reporter Choi Ji-hyun has the story.

[Report]

Spring roll lunch boxes, popular as healthy food.

Onigiri from Kyoto, Japan, and Shanghai’s famous dumplings.

In partnership with well-known chefs, department stores are showcasing a wide range of convenient meals.

This newly opened food hall has filled about 4,000 square meters mainly with these ready-to-eat options.

[Jeong Suk-won/Suwon, Gyeonggi-do: "The quality is good, so I keep wanting to buy. It’s so tasty that I’ve even packed some to take home."]

[Kim Nak-hyun/Head of Food Team, Shinsegae Department Store: "There are so many people trying to prepare simple meals at home. Our most important target customers are mothers who actually manage households."]

When you choose fish, they will prepare it for you on the spot, whether you want it grilled, braised, or in a soup.

[Seong In-sook/Hyundai Department Store Salesperson: "When you get home, it’s bothersome and you don’t want to do it, so if you have it done here, you can just comfortably go and eat it."]

A service that cuts purchased fruit is also popular.

They remove the rinds and pack only the neatly cut fruit into desired shapes.

[Fruit preparation service customer: "It’s convenient. At home, cutting a whole watermelon creates so much trash."]

Department stores in Korea estimate that more than 70% of food buyers also purchase other products.

For department stores struggling with stagnant sales, convenient food options have become a key strategy to draw customers.

This has been Choi Ji-hyun, KBS News.