Chosim Study Cafe shares sales data and strategies by market

Chosim Study Café headquarters conducted a comprehensive survey of its currently operating locations nationwide and released monthly sales data by trade area for 2024.

The survey found that, as of April 2024, a single Chosim Study Café “Lounge Type” location generated a record-high 38 million won in sales. Chosim Study Café targets not only teenagers but also people in their 20s and 30s. Its “Study Café Type,” designed for teens, has also benefited from attracting customers in their 20s. Average sales rose about 30% from the previous month, while daily visits increased by around 30% after the general election.

Segmenting trade areas by age reveals other patterns. Chosim Study Café said some prospective owners assume study cafés will do well in areas with many students, but sales patterns vary depending on the proportion of middle school, high school and university students. The teen-focused Study Café Type typically sees higher sales during exam periods, such as midterms and finals. In university areas, sales can vary significantly between semesters and breaks, as well as between exam periods and the rest of the term.

Chosim added that the combined “Study Café + Lounge Type,” aimed at people in their teens through 30s, is well suited to residential areas known as “seul-se-kwon,” where people can comfortably use nearby amenities such as cafés, convenience stores, libraries and shopping malls. These locations tend to have modest monthly fluctuations and stable sales. The company emphasized that the key is “a strategy for reaching actual demand from customers who use mixed-use trade areas.”

Traditionally, trade areas have been classified according to major nearby facilities, such as offices, dining districts, residential neighborhoods and university areas. But since the pandemic, trade areas have shifted from being concentrated to more dispersed, and mixed-use areas combining offices, commercial facilities, educational institutions and housing have become more common. Chosim Study Café said operators should analyze the spending and needs of the surrounding population, consider future demographic changes, and use those insights to guide site selection, marketing and operations.

Meanwhile, the ongoing decline in birth rates is reducing the school-age population. Demographic shifts—including growing interest in lifelong learning among middle-aged and older adults, and the rise of “N-jobbers” pursuing knowledge-based businesses—are also expected to affect the outlook for different industries. In response, Chosim has taken its study café concept—originally designed primarily for students aged 15 and older, a group of about 2 million—to the next level.

In particular, the company developed the “Chosim G Lounge” concept to target about 13 million adult customers who need a place to focus, proactively responding to a changing market. The concept has resonated with building owners seeking ways to increase recurring monthly income or concerned about establishing a stable revenue stream by making use of vacant space.

Chosim Study Café said it has recently received a steady stream of inquiries about its new concept. It added that, unlike other franchise headquarters, Chosim Study Lounge—which addresses the limitations of study cafés focused on teens—is expanding through analysis of actual demand rather than indiscriminate store growth.

The company added that over the past two years it has closely analyzed how customers use different trade areas, drawing on demand analysis for people in their 20s and 30s and data from its Work Lounge and Free Lounge concepts. It has developed space management strategies tailored to customers in their 20s and 30s, along with distinctive operating concepts and designs, and is working to help franchisees achieve strong returns as well as open new locations. It is also expanding brand awareness through ongoing viral marketing by headquarters. The company said it hopes to hear from aspiring entrepreneurs who are seeking not just to start a business, but to operate it successfully and build a successful life.