[New Consumption Trend] "From Gompyo and Malpyo to Miwon and Old-fashioned Chicken"... Food and Dining Industry Continues Retro Sentiment

Increasing Consumers Seeking Retro Vibes Amid Economic Downturn
Capturing Both Fun and Cost-Effectiveness

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Sunghye] Recently, amid the prolonged economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer sentiment has weakened, prompting the food and dining industries to launch products with retro vibes to comfort weary consumers. This is because more people are enjoying nostalgic products to relieve fatigue and depression.

On the 9th, Shinsegae Food announced the launch of ‘Olban Old-fashioned Whole Chicken,’ a convenient meal exclusively for air fryers. This product is designed to revive the taste and memories of traditional market whole chicken that parents used to buy on their way home in the 1970s and 1980s. The packaging is also designed to evoke the feel of the yellow paper bag that used to wrap the whole chicken, allowing consumers to fully experience the retro sentiment. It is convenient to prepare by cooking for 20 minutes in an air fryer preheated to 180 degrees, resulting in crispy chicken as if freshly fried.

The price burden has also been lowered. The set of two chickens is priced at 18,900 KRW (based on SSG.com).

Daesang recently partnered with GS25 to launch ‘Miwon Salt Popcorn,’ combining the product design and ingredients of ‘Miwon Salt.’ This is a newtro (new retro) style product that preserves the original font and design of ‘Miwon Salt,’ which has represented the salt seasoning market for 51 years since its launch.

It uses actual Miwon Salt to create a light and clean taste. To find the optimal salty flavor that best matches popcorn, GS25 product managers and researchers at Daesang Food Research Institute conducted about 53 sample tests over six months to develop this product. The price is 1,500 KRW.

Crown Confectionery released a cost-effective retro gift set under 10,000 KRW ahead of Children’s Day last May. It added fun with a retro-style school backpack design and included a set of popular snacks.

In the case of Dookki Tteokbokki, they re-released the ‘Busan Sauce,’ a sauce that perfectly recreates the taste of tteokbokki bought in front of schools. Dookki’s Busan Sauce is based on gochujang (red chili paste) and corn syrup, which can be tasted in Busan markets, characterized by a spicy and sweet nostalgic flavor that lingers in the mouth. It was released seasonally in November last year and discontinued after a short sales period when the promotion ended, but due to high consumer response and to continue the retro trend, it was re-released in July.

The alcoholic beverage industry is also riding the retro wave. In May, CU collaborated with flour manufacturer Daehan Flour Mills to launch the craft beer Gompyou Wheat Beer. This beer, featuring Daehan Flour Mills’ mascot, the polar bear, sold out its initial 100,000 cans within three days of release and has sold over 1 million cans to date. Last month, CU partnered with shoe polish manufacturer Malpyo Industry to introduce Malpyo Dark Beer. Malpyo Shoe Polish, first launched in 1967 and used as military shoe polish for nearly 40 years since 1974, has become a national shoe polish brand embraced by generations from their 20s and 30s to middle-aged consumers. On the 4th, Seven Eleven teamed up with canned whelk processor Yudong Whelk to launch Yudong Whelk Beer.