[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] CU announced on the 18th that it will strengthen global sourcing by directly importing Malaysian potato chips to meet the needs of consumers looking for local overseas food products.
The products that CU is exclusively introducing through direct overseas sourcing this time are the ‘Ghost Chili Pepper Chips (1,600 KRW)’, made with unique ingredients, and three types of Himalayan potato chips (Original, Cheddar Cheese, Sour Cream / each 2,000 KRW).
Ghost Chili Pepper Chips are produced by the Malaysian food manufacturer ‘Mami Double Decker’ and are made with Bhut Jolokia, a chili pepper known to be over 200 times spicier than Cheongyang chili peppers. Bhut Jolokia is also called the ‘ghost pepper’ because it is said to be so spicy that it feels like your soul leaves your body when eaten.
Unlike typical potato chips that are yellow in color, this product is made black to visually emphasize its extreme spiciness. The initial taste is savory, but as time passes, it features an intense spiciness that makes the tongue sting.
Ghost Chili Pepper Chips were one of the spicy challenge products popular in Malaysia, and the packaging on the lid includes a record sheet where consumers can write down the time it took to finish the entire bag, making it a ‘fun product’ for sharing certification photos.
In fact, on overseas social networking services (SNS), content is being shared where people place a stopwatch next to the Ghost Chili Pepper Chips and record the time it takes to eat them.
The Himalayan potato chips use Himalayan salt, often called ‘noble salt.’ Himalayan salt is a rock salt crystal rich in iron, minerals, and magnesium, and is a premium ingredient widely used in food, cosmetics, and household products in Korea.
The Himalayan Original potato chips emphasize a crispy texture and the natural mild flavor of potatoes. The Cheddar Cheese potato chips feature a salty taste with cheese powder mixed on the surface, and the Sour Cream potato chips are a snack combining refreshing sour cream with a savory onion aroma.
Despite using the same volume as conventional cylindrical potato chips and premium Himalayan salt, these products are priced over 40% cheaper and are cost-effective items with a 2+1 promotion in December.
In this way, despite the air routes being completely blocked due to the COVID-19 pandemic this year, CU has been introducing unique and famous overseas products to domestic consumers through close cooperation with local partners via video conferences.
Since establishing the industry’s first dedicated overseas sourcing team, the Global Trading Team, in 2017, CU has imported over 100 popular products from various countries, including Nuga Crackers (Taiwan), Mogu Mogu Juice (Thailand), and Egg Tarts (Portugal), gaining great popularity.
Especially this year, as on-site inspections are difficult, CU has set stricter screening standards than before and is working with well-known manufacturers certified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) to ensure safe food imports.
Kim Bae-geun, head of BGF Retail’s Global Trading Team, said, “With overseas travel restricted due to COVID-19, customers’ desire to directly taste famous products from around the world is growing. Going forward, CU will actively bring in trendy products from various countries that cannot be found domestically to enhance customer satisfaction.”
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