"Buying Fish Online"... 'Bibigo Grilled Fish' Online Sales Jump Over 30% Monthly on Average

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Saeng-hye] CJ CheilJedang’s seafood home meal replacement (HMR) product, ‘Bibigo Grilled Fish,’ is gaining popularity online.

CJ CheilJedang announced on the 24th that the online sales of Bibigo Grilled Fish have grown by more than 30% monthly on average since its launch in August last year. Bibigo Grilled Fish comes in three varieties: grilled mackerel, grilled Spanish mackerel, and grilled flatfish. It is a refrigerated seafood HMR product in small portions that allows consumers to easily enjoy grilled fish by microwaving for one minute without using fire.

Sales growth has accelerated further this month. As of the 21st, sales of Bibigo Grilled Fish more than doubled compared to the same period last month, achieving the highest performance since its launch. The convenience of consuming without having to prepare or cook fresh fish, combined with the recent preference for contactless and non-face-to-face consumption, has driven this increase. It is analyzed that demand previously met by purchasing fresh fish at large supermarkets and cooking it at home has been absorbed.

CJ CheilJedang expects the growth trend of Bibigo Grilled Fish to become more prominent in line with the increasing online consumption influenced by dawn delivery and same-day delivery services. Customers who were previously hesitant to purchase refrigerated products online due to freshness concerns are believed to have increased their purchases thanks to faster delivery systems.

In particular, consumer satisfaction with Bibigo Grilled Mackerel is very high. Customer ratings are currently 4.8 out of 5, and the repurchase rate of more than twice exceeds 60% (based on CJ The Market), indicating a growing loyal customer base. Most consumers highly appreciate that the taste and quality are similar to grilled fresh mackerel, while it can be conveniently cooked in the microwave without smoke or odor, which is especially beneficial during winter ventilation conditions.

Goo Gye-young, Head of Refrigerated Marketing at CJ CheilJedang, said, “As online purchases are increasingly preferred over offline recently, online channels account for 70% of sales at Emart for Bibigo Grilled Fish.” He added, “We will focus on maximizing online channel sales by offering various promotions targeting housewives in their 30s and 40s online.”