Homeplus Launches the 4th Edition of the Popular Ramen Series: 'Gukmin Bibimmyeon'

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Homeplus announced on the 24th that it will launch the fourth installment of the National Ramen Series, 'Gukmin Bibimmyun,' in collaboration with Samyang Foods.

Gukmin Bibimmyun features thin and chewy noodles paired with a tangy and sweet sauce that stimulates the appetite. Priced at 400 won per pack, which is about half the price of competing products, it significantly reduces the financial burden on consumers.

The 'National Ramen Series,' available exclusively at Homeplus, is a product born from the collaboration between Homeplus and Samyang Foods. By leveraging Samyang Foods' 50 years of ramen manufacturing expertise and Homeplus's distribution network, the quality has been enhanced while unnecessary packaging, marketing, and distribution processes have been streamlined to drastically lower the price.

Previously launched products in the 'National Ramen Series,' including Gukmin Ramen, Gukmin Jjajang, and Gukmin Cup Ramen, have all gained a reputation for great cost-effectiveness and rank within the top 10 in sales at Homeplus amid fierce competition in the ramen market.

Additionally, due to the prolonged 'stay-at-home' trend caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for ramen has significantly increased. In the third week of March, bibimmyun sales accounted for about 11% of total ramen sales, roughly doubling compared to two weeks prior.

Gukmin Bibimmyun has also received a positive response, selling approximately 100,000 packs within three weeks of its launch and quickly rising to the top sales ranks. Homeplus analyzed that the strategy of offering a price free of unnecessary costs and a taste that exceeds expectations has succeeded in delivering both value and satisfaction.

Yoo Seo-hyun, a buyer for the Homeplus Processed Foods Team, said, “Since the National Ramen Series has shown meaningful results in the highly competitive ramen market, we expect 'Gukmin Bibimmyun,' which captures both taste and price, to receive a good response as well.”