Ottogi has raised prices on 21 instant rice products across three lines — white rice, multigrain rice and konjac rice — by nearly 30% at convenience stores. It is the company's third price increase this year.
Effective on the 1st, prices for three-pack sets of Ottogi's germinated brown rice and germinated black rice rose 29.4% to 8,800 won from 6,800 won at the three major convenience store chains, CU, GS25 and Seven Eleven, according to food industry sources. It marks the first price increase for Ottogi rice products in four years and five months, since April 2022.
Ottogi Small Rice (150g) climbed 23.5% to 2,100 won from 1,700 won, Ottogi Delicious Large Rice (300g) rose 21.4% to 3,400 won from 2,800 won, and Ottogi Rice (210g) increased 20.0% to 2,400 won from 2,000 won.
At large discount stores, prices will rise starting on the 7th. A 10-pack of Ottogi Rice (210g) will increase 9.1% to 11,980 won from 10,980 won, while a 12-pack will rise 7.7% to 13,980 won from 12,980 won. Three-pack sets of germinated brown rice (210g) and germinated black rice (210g) will each rise 7.2% to 7,480 won from 6,980 won.
Rising Rice Prices
Ottogi said the increases stem primarily from deteriorating profitability driven by higher costs for packaging materials and raw rice. Consumer price index data from the National Data Office showed rice prices rose 13.2% in the second quarter from a year earlier. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said rice prices climbed because of a drop in the 2025 harvest, but have fallen steadily since January and have held roughly flat at about 61,000 won per 20 kilograms since July 2.
On why the increase was steeper at convenience stores than at other retail channels, Ottogi said it had passed on only part of the cost increase during the April 2022 round because convenience stores carried fewer of its products at the time and the company wanted to support sales growth. It added that worsening profitability left it no choice but to reflect the full increase this time, resulting in a higher rate.
Ottogi previously raised shipping prices on 29 products including curry, glass noodles, ketchup and pepper starting July 16. It also plans to raise average shipping prices on 29 cup noodle products across 11 brands by 6.7% and on 16 dumpling products across three brands by 7.7% from the 7th of this month.
Food companies are pushing through a wave of price increases a month ahead of the Chuseok holiday, lifting prices across a range of staple groceries.
Dongwon F&B raised prices on canned tuna products, including its Dongwon Tuna line, by an average of 9% effective on the 1st. Paldo recently raised prices on instant noodles and beverages by more than 5%.
Nongshim also raised prices on cup noodle products across 18 brands by an average of 6%, while some CJ CheilJedang products, including its Hetbahn instant rice, rose an average of 8%.
