Halmanial Trend 'Popular'
Emart Sees 14% Increase in Yakgwa and 37% Rise in Nurungji
Discovering Differentiated Products, Small Portion Individual Packaging
Recently, the Halmaennial (Grandmother + Millennial) trend has gained popularity among the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z), leading to a significant increase in sales of traditional snacks. The distribution industry is actively targeting consumers by introducing differentiated products and individually packaged small portions.
According to Emart on the 18th, sales of traditional snacks increased compared to the previous year from January 1 to the 15th of this month, with Yakgwa up 14%, rice cakes up 24%, Monaka up 23%, and Nurungji up 37%. Emart offers various Nurungji products made from different grains that are convenient yet healthy. Their representative product, Cheongchun Nurungji, uses domestically grown fresh grains cooked into rice and baked in an oven, preserving the texture of the grains while being crispy without being hard.
Lotte Mart reported a 35% increase in sales of old-fashioned snacks, 70% for Hwajeon and Monaka, and 35% for Sikhye and Sujeonggwa. Only Price’s Danhobak Jjondeugi and Corn Jjondeugi are delicacies with a chewy texture and a sweet, nutty flavor that becomes more pronounced the more you chew. They can be enjoyed softer and tastier when heated in a microwave or air fryer. Homeplus recorded sales growth of 72% for Yakgwa, 591% for rice cakes, 430% for Monaka and puffed rice snacks, and 44% for Sikhye and Sujeonggwa. The Ariul Tteok Workshop’s non-hardening rice cakes, launched last month, boast a chewy texture thanks to patented technology.
Olive Young’s honey Yakgwa caused a sold-out frenzy, selling over 400,000 units to date. This product was jointly developed last October with Korea’s 59th Traditional Confectionery Master and is made from domestic glutinous rice, featuring a chewy texture and a layered, pastry-like feel. The Master’s Bugak (traditional fried seaweed snacks) three types have also received positive responses as low-calorie, lightly flavored, individually packaged snacks. They plan to continuously release new products that reinterpret traditional snacks to suit the tastes of the MZ generation.
Traditional snacks are also popular in e-commerce. Curly saw sales increases of 71% for Jeonbyeong (Korean pancakes), 59% for Oranda, 41% for Yakgwa, 136% for Ssuktteok (mugwort rice cakes), and 70% for Hangwa (traditional Korean sweets). Mini Yakgwa, pumpkin-flavored Yakgwa, and pastry-style Yakgwa ranked among the top sellers. Rice cakes with various flavors such as pumpkin, castella, black sesame, and Dongbu coating were the best sellers. On Gmarket, sales growth rates were high for Hangwa and traditional snacks (130%), rice cakes (130%), and dried flowers and herbal candies (85%). On SSG.com, No Brand roasted chestnuts and glutinous rice snacks ranked within the top 10 in the snacks category.
An industry insider said, "Purchases of various traditional snacks and beverages are actively increasing, especially among the MZ generation," adding, "We will continue to introduce various products and promotional events that reflect trends."
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