South Korean convenience store operators GS25 and CU received a boost from in-house brands in the second quarter.

GS Retail, which operates the GS25 chain, recorded a net profit jump of 11.1 per cent year on year to 45.8 billion won (US$41 million) in the April-June period, on sales up 5.3 per cent to US$2 billion.

GS Retail attributed the growth to development of new products at its convenience stores, with 36.7 per cent of GS25’s sales excluding alcohol and cigarettes coming from its private-label products in July.

South Korean convenience store operators have been developing private-label products to attract more customers.

GS25’s main rival CU posted a net profit of US$60 million from April to June, an increase of 105 per cent from the first quarter of this year, on sales of $1.3 billion.