"Konnect Korea"

My corner GS25 put a machine by the window a few months ago. I ignored it for weeks — I figured it was another phone-charging kiosk or a lottery terminal. Then one evening I watched the guy ahead of me scan a QR code, drop a frozen fruit cup into a slot, and walk out ninety seconds later holding what looked exactly like a $7 smoothie from a Seoul café. He paid about $2 for it. I've been mildly obsessed ever since. 🥤 The Machine That's Quietly Taking Over Every Chain This isn't a one-store gimmick. All three major chains — CU, GS25, and 7-Eleven — have rolled out their own version of a self-serve, made-to-order smoothie machine over the past year, and the numbers are the reason you're about to see one at your own local branch. 7-Eleven alone has sold over a million cups in about six months across roughly 300 stores, with office workers making up the single biggest customer group. CU's numbers grew even faster: sales of its six flavors jumped 110.8% year-over-yea...