NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang's visit to South Korea has triggered a surge in sales of a convenience store biscuit after he was seen eating it, with daily sales jumping 766 percent and search volume on a convenience store app soaring 160-fold, Yonhap reported.
On the evening of June 5, Huang dined at a grilled pork belly restaurant in Seoul's Hongdae area with the chairmen of SK Group, LG Group and Naver. After the meal, he handed out "Honey Banana Flavour HBM Chip" snacks – a collaboration between 7-Eleven and SK Hynix – to fans waiting outside and ate one on the spot.
Sales of the so-called "chip biscuit" surged 766 percent on June 6 compared to the same period the previous week, with total sales on June 6 and 7 reaching eight times the previous week's level.
Huang also showed a fondness for Korean fried chicken. After the pork belly dinner, he continued to a BBQ fried chicken chain outlet with the business leaders, ordering golden olive fried chicken and beer. Sales at that outlet grew more than 20 percent over the June 5-7 period compared to the previous week.
During his four-day visit, Huang also sampled naengmyeon, steamed eggs, banana milk, sweet rice drink and other local foods. Industry insiders expect the "Jensen Huang effect" to naturally promote Korean food culture and generate significant economic benefits.
