A shark that appeared in the waterfront park at Busan's North Port has pushed sales at nearby convenience stores above the average for outlets around Haeundae Beach. Sales growth at stores near the sighting matched the lift typically seen on baseball game days at Busan's Sajik Stadium, and shark-themed snacks are selling briskly at stores nationwide.
According to BGF Retail (282330), which operates the CU convenience store chain, average sales at five CU outlets near North Port in Busan's Dong-gu district on the 19th and 20th were 10.5% higher than at six CU stores near Haeundae Beach over the same period. The shark was first spotted at the waterfront park on the 18th. Haeundae is Busan's best-known tourist destination and draws heavy foot traffic even outside the summer peak season, making it a high-revenue area for convenience stores. "Normally, stores near Haeundae Beach ring up higher average sales than those near North Port," a CU official said. "North Port overtaking Haeundae appears to reflect the surge of interest in the shark's unusual appearance."
The shark, first found in a channel at the North Port waterfront park in Dong-gu on the 18th, has remained in the waterway for several days. Residents and tourists have flocked to see it in person, with about 20,000 people visiting the park over the two weekend days, compared with an average of roughly 2,000 a day on typical weekends. On social media, the shark has picked up the nickname "Bukangi," a play on the name of Busan's North Port.
The increase rivals the boost from professional baseball games in the city. Over the 19th and 20th, sales at the five CU stores near the waterfront park rose 48.6% from the previous week. Average sales at eight CU stores near Sajik Baseball Stadium, where the Lotte Giants hosted the Samsung Lions over the same period, rose 48.4% from the prior week, when no games were played. The shark effect, in other words, nearly matched that of a Giants home game.
Sales of portable chargers at CU stores in Dong-gu soared 815.5% as more customers turned up to photograph the shark. Ready-to-eat prepared foods rose 166.2%, bottled water 55.0%, ice 46.3% and triangular rice balls 32.3%.
Related buying patterns were also pronounced. From the 19th through the 22nd, sales of Jaws Bar, an ice cream evoking the shark, rose 32.2% from the previous week. Whale-shaped Gorae-bap snacks rose 22.3% over the same period, while sales of Baby Shark items featuring the Pinkfong character jumped 34.0%.
Similar patterns emerged nationwide, not just in Dong-gu where the shark appeared. An analysis of CU sales across the country over the same period showed Jaws Bar up 15.0%, Gorae-bap up 11.7% and Pinkfong Baby Shark products up 14.8% from the prior week.
The episode is also seen as a promotional windfall for North Port. Speaking on CBS radio on the 22nd, Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo said the city would hold an interagency meeting on response measures and "do everything possible to help residents create good memories." He added: "We will turn this into a once-in-a-century opportunity to make Busan's North Port known across the country and around the world."
"North Port cost 90 billion won [about $65 million] to develop but was not widely known, and now that 'Bukangi' has shown up and is doing the publicity for us, the effect cannot be measured in money," the mayor said. "We are thinking about creating shark-related tourism content."
With the shark showing signs of a prolonged stay in the artificial channel at the waterfront park, the city and related agencies have moved to emergency footing to prevent accidents among the crowds expected over the Chuseok holiday. The Busan Infrastructure Corporation, which manages the park, has organized emergency shifts and added 10 security staff.
