Orion Corporation is targeting overseas markets with Orion BiChoBi. The move reflects the snack’s growing recognition among visitors to Korea, who are spreading the word about it as a “travel souvenir.”
According to Orion Corporation on the 10th, Orion BiChoBi will go on sale at 37 Costco Wholesale Corporation stores in Japan in October. The company also plans to launch the product at Costco Wholesale Corporation stores in the United States early next year.
Orion Corporation explained that Orion BiChoBi has recently been featured on foreign tourists’ social media as a “snack you must buy in Korea” and a “Korean snack that makes a good gift.” As a result, more visitors to Korea are buying it as a souvenir, much as travelers to Japan purchase Tokyo Banana.
The impact of foreign tourists is also evident in sales performance. Among the top 10 Orion BiChoBi sales outlets by revenue from January through August this year were Seoul Station, Jagalchi Market in Busan, Seokchon Lake in Jamsil, Gimpo International Airport, Incheon International Airport and Jeju Province—popular tourist destinations and transportation hubs for foreign visitors. Revenue at these top outlets increased by an average of more than twofold from the same period a year earlier. During the same period, total Orion BiChoBi sales also rose 53%.
Orion Corporation has also expanded production capacity to meet rising demand. In April, the company added an Orion BiChoBi production line at its Iksan plant, increasing capacity to approximately twice its previous level. Growing domestic demand had limited the company’s ability to secure volumes for export, but the expanded capacity has stabilized domestic supply while laying the groundwork for overseas growth.
Starting with Costco Wholesale Corporation stores in Japan and the United States, Orion Corporation plans to continue expanding the countries and distribution channels where Orion BiChoBi is sold.
An Orion Corporation official said, “After proving the product’s competitiveness in Korea, we will apply to Orion BiChoBi the successful approach used to grow Turtle Chips and Moist & Chewy Cake into global brands by targeting major overseas distribution channels. We will develop Orion BiChoBi into a global K-snack.”
Se Hyung Kim, Reporter fax123@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
