The Remarkable 'Halo Effect' of APEC: Surging Orders, Temporary Closures, and a 70% Increase in Customers

[Financial News] The domestic food and beauty industries are reaping the full benefits of the 'halo effect' from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
Kkanbu Chicken, which gained prominence in the chicken industry thanks to Jensen Huang's 'chimaek gathering,' as well as food and beauty companies that sponsored APEC, are seeing word-of-mouth spread both domestically and internationally. This has sparked optimism for improved year-end sales performance.
According to industry sources on the 4th, the economic impact of the 'chicken gathering' held on October 30 by Jensen Huang, Lee Jae-yong of Samsung Group, and Chung Eui-sun of Hyundai Motor Group at Kkanbu Chicken continues to grow, both tangibly and intangibly.
Kkanbu Chicken is currently ranked 17th among domestic chicken brands. Compared to Kyochon, BBQ, and BHC, it has fewer stores and lower sales, but thanks to the Jensen Huang effect, it has achieved nationwide recognition.
The day after the Kkanbu Chicken gathering, 'Kkanbu Chicken' topped the real-time search rankings on the Baedal Minjok delivery app. Search and order volumes for Kkanbu Chicken also increased on other platforms such as Coupang Eats.
The branch near Samseong Station in Seoul, where the so-called 'Kkanbu gathering' took place, began to see long lines, and customers have been flocking there as if on a kind of 'pilgrimage.'
Notably, as of today, the branch has implemented a 'one-hour usage limit' for the Jensen Huang table. A notice in the store reads, 'For everyone’s benefit, the usage time for the Jensen Huang CEO table is limited to one hour.'
The Kkanbu gathering effect has led to increased sales. In fact, sales at the Kkanbu Chicken branch near Samseong Station have risen by 30–50% compared to before. Fourteen directly operated stores nationwide, including the main branch in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, had to temporarily suspend operations due to a sudden surge in customers, resulting in a shortage of chicken for franchise supply.
A representative from Kkanbu Chicken stated, "We are managing our stores more thoroughly due to the increased number of customers," and added, "We have urged all franchise owners to pay special attention to hygiene and customer service."
Food companies that operated booths and provided products to the press corps at the APEC venue also made a strong impression. Oriental Brewery (OB) participated as the exclusive beer sponsor for the APEC CEO Summit, showcasing flagship products such as Cass Fresh. Nongshim, CJ CheilJedang, and SPC Group also operated booths or provided products to the media center.
The beauty industry is also enjoying the special APEC boost. Global beauty company APR has seen its brand awareness rise significantly thanks to APEC. It became a hot topic when it was revealed that Karoline Leavitt, spokesperson for the White House, had purchased APR’s Medicube Zero Pore Pads and Pink Tone-up Sunscreen.
In particular, after it was reported that Leavitt visited the Olive Young Gyeongju Hwangnam branch and purchased various K-beauty products, the proportion of foreign sales at this store soared from 20% to 63%. The number of visitors jumped 77% compared to the previous week, making it a rapidly emerging hotspot for foreign tourists.
Other K-beauty companies also seized the opportunity to boost their global presence through APEC. Amorepacific Corporation used artificial intelligence (AI) technology to manufacture customized cosmetics on-site tailored to visitors’ skin tones, while LG Household & Health Care presented 'The History of Whoo Hwanyugo' as gifts to the spouses of world leaders.
clean@fnnews.com Lee Jeong-hwa, Lee Hwan-joo Reporter