A customer examines a meal box at GS25. Courtesy of GS Retail

An increasing number of local convenience stores are introducing meal packages to meet the needs of single-person households in the lead-up to the Chuseok long weekend, market watchers said Tuesday.

Propelling the collective marketing campaign is the once-overlooked demographic group emerging as a new key customer base. They account for over 40 percent of the country's total of over 24 million.

According to convenience store chain CU, a 50 percent discount will be applied to its 40 Chuseok-themed lunch boxes, including tteokgalbi, or grilled marinated ribs, and japchae, or stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables, from Sept. 16 to 18.

Buyers will be able to purchase a pack for 3,450 won ($2.57), half the usual 6,900 won, during the three-day event.

CU data showed that sales of holiday-themed meal boxes jumped 15 percent in 2021 from the previous year. It rose 13.4 percent in 2022 and 18.5 percent in 2023.

Similarly, lunch boxes sold at GS25 will have 16 percent more contents compared to their original packaging, priced at 7,300 won.

This year's campaign follows the sales of last year's holiday-themed products doubling those of the retail chain's second-most-popular meal boxes.

An app-mediated purchase at GS25 stores will grant a 30 percent discount.

Data from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety showed that the number of single-person households exceeded 10.02 million as of March, accounting for 41.8 percent of the more than 24 million households across the nation.

The 30-39 age group constituted the largest proportion at 21.8 percent, followed by the 20-29 age group at 18.1 percent.

“Not as many young people take hours-long trips to visit their families anymore, creating a new spending pattern for businesses to adapt to and boost revenue,” an industry watcher said.