Retro Up Sparks 'Re-release' Craze in Food Industry... The Underlying Strategy is 'Jjan-nae'

Gongcha, Ediya, and Other Past Popular Menus Recalled
Lotte Wellfood Launches Blueberry Gum After 13 Years
"Intensified Price Competition... Strategy to Save New Product Research Costs"

The food industry is experiencing a strong resurgence of re-releases, from supermarket gum to cafe beverages. This is a response to consumer demand for discontinued products amid the ongoing 'newtro trend.' However, behind this trend lies an analysis that it is a strategy to save on new product research and development costs amid government price increase controls in an era of high inflation.

Gongcha Korea announced on the 14th that it will carefully select and re-release 10 popular menu items from the past. The 10 items include 5 Fruity & More drinks (▲Grapefruit Yogurt ▲Lemon Jasmine Tea ▲Grapefruit Juice ▲Jasmine Yogurt ▲Lemon Yogurt), 3 Milk Tea & Smoothie drinks (▲Brown Sugar Jewelry Cheese Foam Smoothie ▲Milk Cookies & Cream Smoothie ▲Jasmine Milk Tea), and 2 coffee menu items (▲Earl Grey Americano ▲Cafe Mocha).

A Gongcha Korea representative said, "This is to respond to continuous consumer requests, especially the three ‘Milk Tea & Smoothie’ drinks, which had many re-release requests," adding, "Gongcha plans to actively reflect consumer opinions by releasing these as regular menu items and expanding menu options to increase customer satisfaction."

Previously, Ediya Coffee also re-released flatccinos that were sold in the past under the name ‘Returned Flatccino.’ These include the Pistachio Magic Pop Flatccino released in 2012, the Plum Flatccino from 2016, and the Pear Flatccino sold in 2017. An Ediya Coffee representative explained, "After long customer requests, we re-released three flatccinos in April," adding, "All menus have been reinterpreted to fit modern tastes." For example, the Pistachio Magic Pop Flatccino enhances the fun of popping candy bursting in the mouth and the rich flavor of pistachio.

The re-release of popular menus is not limited to cafe beverages. Lotte Wellfood began selling ‘Blueberry Gum’ again at the end of last month after 13 years. Blueberry Gum was launched in 1983 and operated until 2011. When developed, Lotte Gum researchers created the scent inspired by the image felt from the shape and taste of blueberries. The external packaging restored the design from its initial 1983 introduction. Meanwhile, the individual inner wrappers feature a stylish design that appeals to younger generations.

Additionally, CU re-released the ‘ㅇㄱㄹㅇ ㅂㅂㅂㄱ (Igeoreal Banbakbulga)’ dessert cake series, which had taken the convenience store dessert market by storm in 2018, after six years. The taste and weight were replicated exactly. This product gained popularity due to its naming and excellent cost-effectiveness, surpassing 1 million cumulative sales within three months of release. At that time, it became a hit product that increased dessert category sales by more than three times (210.6%).

The relay re-releases in the food industry are outwardly aimed at satisfying consumers chasing analog or retro sensibilities. Recently, the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) pursues fun in consumption as ‘funshumers’ (Fun + Consumer) and shows great curiosity about discontinued products. Accordingly, Lotte Wellfood is starting a ‘Retro Gum Series’ project to re-release nostalgic gums, beginning with Blueberry Gum. A Lotte Wellfood representative said, “Many consumers were curious about Blueberry Gum, a gum with a scent created from imagination, so we decided to re-release it,” adding, “Through the Retro Gum Series, we plan to steadily reintroduce gums from the past that exist in consumers’ memories.”

However, behind the re-release craze lies the corporate reality of needing to increase sales while reducing research costs. Recently, raw material costs have increased amid high inflation, but government price increase controls continue, making it difficult to raise product prices. A food industry official explained, "Investment in research and development for new products inevitably leads to price increases, so companies choose to re-release popular menus that cost less but guarantee a certain level of sales."