“Average spend per customer up fourfold as game fans flock” ... GS25 expands Blue Archive collaboration

[Financial News] Retailers are seeing results from collaborative marketing that leverages game intellectual property (IP), boosting average spending per customer and encouraging repeat visits.
According to industry sources on the 14th, an analysis by GS25 of purchase data for game collaboration products dating back to 2024 found that customers who bought these products spent an average of about 30,000 won per transaction, up to four times as much as ordinary customers. Cumulative sales of related products also topped 23 million units. The company said customers often bought ramen, snacks, drinks and other items along with the collaboration products.
The collaborations also drove repeat visits. During collaboration periods, customers returned to stores an average of at least 4–5 times to experience game content and collect merchandise such as photo cards, according to the figures. At some game IP pop-up stores, queues stretched for more than 100 meters, and kiosks were sometimes used to issue numbered tickets.
Since launching its collaboration with Nexon’s Blue Archive in 2024, GS25 has introduced lunch boxes, bread, ramen and other products based on game IPs including MapleStory, Wuthering Waves and Arknights: Endfield. More recently, it has expanded its collaborations to include pop-up stores that bring game worlds to life in physical locations.
Starting today, GS25 is launching its third collaboration with Blue Archive. It will roll out six products, including lunch boxes, hamburgers and almond chocolate balls, and offer collectible merchandise tailored to each product, such as student ID cards, photo cards and character magnets.
From the 30th through the 22nd of next month, GS25 will operate Blue Archive pop-up stores at five locations nationwide, including its Hapjeong Premium store. It also plans to sell limited-edition merchandise and hold events for visitors.
Ji Byeong-ju, a manager on GS25’s Partnership Marketing Team, said, “Collaborations with popular IPs in areas such as games, K-pop and characters are having a dramatic effect on average spending per customer and repeat-visit rates. We will foster experiential consumer content connecting IPs across various fields with around 18,000 stores nationwide as a strategic asset for new growth.”
[email protected] Kim Hyun-ji Reporter