Hollys Japan Direct Stores Attract 6,000 Visitors in 5 Days... Top Menu Item is 'Yakgwa Cream Latte'

Official Opening of Osaka 'Namba Marui Branch' on the 1st
About 900 Visitors on Opening Day... Over 100 Waiting

Hollys' directly operated store in Japan, ‘Namba Marui Branch,’ is gaining popularity among locals.

According to Hollys on the 8th, the ‘Hollys Namba Marui Branch’ opened on the 1st in Namba, the heart of Osaka, Japan. Despite the rainy and gloomy weather, a queue of over 100 people formed even before the opening, proving the high interest of Japanese consumers in Hollys.

In particular, the Osaka-limited MD giveaway event held from the 1st to the 2nd, the opening days, was very popular, with all 500 items prepared each day sold out within three hours of opening. The ‘Osaka Limited MD 2 Types (Tumbler, Mug),’ available only at Hollys Namba Marui Branch, received favorable reviews for its unique design using the Korean Hangul notation of Hollys and Osaka, as well as its practical size. In fact, a remarkable scene occurred where customers who visited on the opening day returned the next day to participate in the mug event.

A Hollys representative explained, "About 900 people visited on the official opening day, and about 6,000 customers visited the store in the five days following the opening." Not only local Japanese but also overseas tourists visiting Osaka flocked to the store. Consumers enjoyed Hollys in their own ways, such as leisurely browsing the store, purchasing MD products, or taking commemorative photos at the Holly Bear photo zone.

Among the menu items, the Osaka-limited menu ‘Yakgwa Cream Latte’ ranked first in sales. Unlike Korea, where Americano sales account for 30% of total beverage sales, the Yakgwa Cream Latte achieved 1.5 times higher sales compared to Americano, becoming the representative menu of Hollys Namba Marui Branch. The Yakgwa Cream Latte is a menu that offers a sweet and chewy taste by topping Hollys’ premium blend ‘Black Aria’ espresso and cinnamon cream latte with yakgwa, a traditional Korean cookie. A Hollys representative said, "It is analyzed that many Japanese customers chose this because they could enjoy the traditional Korean cookie yakgwa and Hollys’ premium coffee at once."

Following that, Hollys’ signature menu ‘Vanilla Delight,’ the rich mugwort-flavored ‘Haenguni Ssuksuk Latte,’ and the consistently popular ‘Sweet Potato Latte’ among Japanese visitors to Korean Hollys stores ranked high in sales. Moreover, the diverse beverages introduced by Hollys harmonized with Japan’s coffee culture, which enjoys drinks along with desserts, and received much love. Many customers enjoyed Hollys beverages together with cakes and bakery items presented in collaboration with local Osaka bakery companies, and visitors expressed their intention to revisit the store for other menu items.

Jonghyun Lee, CEO of Hollys, said, “Thanks to the customers who showed great interest and visited Hollys, we were able to successfully launch the starting signal in Japan, which will be the starting point for our global expansion. Hollys will collect vivid user reviews from customers who visited the Namba Marui Branch and actively reflect them in store operations to establish itself as the representative brand of Korean premium cafes in Japan.”