[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Saeng-hye] CJ CheilJedang's Bibigo porridge is gaining great popularity as both a 'daily meal' and a 'snack,' leading changes in consumer trends and market growth.
CJ CheilJedang announced on the 17th that Bibigo porridge has surpassed 50 million cumulative sales. This achievement came 1 year and 9 months after launching the industry's first shelf-stable pouch porridge, meaning that on average, every Korean has experienced Bibigo porridge at least once. The cumulative sales revenue is approaching 130 billion KRW.
The 'daily porridge meal' trend led by Bibigo porridge has accelerated due to the growth of the home meal replacement (HMR) market and the recent increase in demand for 'home-cooked meals.' In the past, consumers mainly sought packaged porridge when sick, having digestive issues, or just to quickly satisfy hunger. However, since the launch of Bibigo porridge, consumption patterns have shifted to enjoying packaged porridge for various purposes such as breakfast substitutes, diet meals, hangover cures, and snacks.
Bibigo Beef Porridge and Bibigo Abalone Porridge have captured consumers' tastes and established themselves as steady sellers kept at home. Additionally, premium porridges like Bibigo Bulgogi Octopus Porridge, Bibigo Three-Delicacy Seafood Porridge, and Bibigo Octopus Kimchi Porridge are showing strong sales, receiving consumer praise for their 'different level of taste and ingredients,' as highlighted in the current advertisement's key copy, 'It's really porridge.'
The consumer trend of seeking packaged porridge as snacks or special dishes is also expanding. Bibigo snack porridges such as Pumpkin Porridge, Black Sesame Porridge, Whole Red Bean Porridge, and Dongji Red Bean Porridge have seen cumulative sales increase by 45% compared to the same period last year as of the end of August, maintaining steady popularity. Snack porridges are made from traditional ingredients like pumpkin, red beans, and black sesame, offering versatile uses similar to ice desserts. Moreover, the so-called 'Halmenial trend' (a neologism combining grandmother and millennial generations) is expected to sustain their popularity.
In this way, Bibigo porridge has simultaneously captured the two rabbits of 'daily meals' and 'snacks,' solidifying its market position. According to Nielsen Korea statistics, as of the end of July this year, Bibigo porridge recorded a market share of 37.8%, engaging in a close competition for first place.
A CJ CheilJedang official commented on these achievements, saying, "The shift to enjoying porridge in various daily patterns is due to efforts to understand consumers' minds based on differentiated taste and quality." They added, "We will continue to lead market growth and food culture trends through research and development and efforts to get closer to consumers."
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