A sleeping Pokémon sits beside boxes of chocolate-coated biscuit sticks. Ahead of Pepero Day on November 11, CU rolled out Pokémon blankets and night-lights, while GS25 offered Anpanman tape-measure keyrings and Crayon Shin-chan film cameras. The choice now starts with who you want to share the biscuits with and extends to the character they like and the object they would actually use.

Why people hand out biscuit sticks on November 11

Write November 11 as 11/11 and the four ones look like biscuit sticks. In Korea, handing a friend or colleague a small box is an easy way to show you are thinking of them. If you are travelling and buying for a group, a few boxes of sticks are easy to share. For one person, a set with a useful little gift can feel more personal.

7-Eleven’s themed products featuring JO & FRIENDS and Sanrio characters세븐일레븐

Biscuit sticks are easy to give. A gift set makes you think a little harder about the person getting it. According to BGF Retail, distinctive products such as collaboration items accounted for 23.2% of CU’s Pepero Day sales in 2022 and 36.6% in 2025. The familiar ritual is still there, and the shelf offers a wider range of things to give.

CU’s nap time and GS25’s shopping bags

The sleeping Pokémon stand out in CU’s lineup. The characters appear on winter items such as plush heat packs, fleece blankets and night-lights. The Tamagotchi sets bring back the shapes anyone who raised a virtual pet might recognise. If a character catches your eye, turn the box over and check which biscuits and accessories come with it.

GS25’s Anpanman and Crayon Shin-chan merchandise on displayGS리테일

GS25’s sets take a different approach to useful gifts. Anpanman appears on a tape-measure keyring, while Crayon Shin-chan and his dog Shiro appear on a film camera and a shopping bag. A blanket stays at home and a keyring comes along for the day. Even two fans with the same favourite character may pick different sets.

What will be left after the box is opened?

7-Eleven put JO & FRIENDS on gift sets, and E-Mart24 released Pepero packs illustrated with characters from the webtoon The Remarried Empress. The packaging can start a conversation if you know which story your friend follows. 7-Eleven also opened a JO & FRIENDS pop-up in Jamsil, giving people a reason to go and see the characters as well as pick up a snack.

Character gift sets on a 7-Eleven display세븐일레븐

The checkout and merchandise shelves at the 7-Eleven JO & FRIENDS pop-up세븐일레븐

E-Mart24’s Pepero sets featuring characters from The Remarried Empress이마트24

E-Mart24 packaging illustrated with characters in court dress이마트24

In 7-Eleven’s assortment, small pouches are easy to spot among the things that can go with the biscuits. The Remarried Empress sets at E-Mart24 make the webtoon recognisable from the artwork alone. If the person you are shopping for does not collect merchandise, check the difference between the character on the outside and what the package actually contains.

For something to open and share, start with a box of biscuit sticks. For a friend with a favourite character, look for an object they will reach for long after the biscuits are gone. At the counter, you can ask, “Does this set come with the keyring?”