by Mitori Liu
Nov 17, 2022
Story brief:
South Korea has implemented “healthy food corners” for children and adolescents in convenience stores near schools nationwide, offering them a quick access to healthy and safe food.
Story in detailed description:
According to an article on foodnavigator.com (https://www.foodnavigator-asia.com/Article/2022/10/25/South-Korea-launches-healthy-food-corners-in-convenience-stores), the food in the healthy food corners must be low sodium, no added sugar, or meet other health and safety criteria for food, while the categories are diverse, including lunch boxes, beverages and fruits. The launch of the corner is based on the result from the 15th Adolescent Health Behavior Survey, that young consumers tend to purchase meals from convenience stores more frequently, indicating the importance of food safety for them in convenience stores. The “healthy food corners” are first set up in chain stores in South Korea, such as E-Mart, CU and 7-11, and more convenience stores will join to guide young consumers eating habits and protect their health in the future.
Implication:
The health corners serve as a guidance for young consumers who are usually unable to identify complex food components good for health to explore the suitable food for themselves without parents’ necessary instructions. Other brands in different industries should also plan for their consumers with special needs, or those who don’t have a thorough acquaintance of its products and portfolios, to develop and pre-identify suitable products for them. For example, apparel brands may design skin-friendly clothing for those who have skin allergy and launch an allergy-free clothing corner in the retail store, while electronic device sellers may also set up a left-handed device corner for left-handed people to find their right mouse.