Pulmuone Japan Corporation's 'Dububa' Surpasses 70 Million Units Sold

Asahiko Japan Corporation's 'Dubu Bar'
Sold 70 Million Units in 3 and a Half Years

Pulmuone's Japanese subsidiary Asahico's hit protein convenience food product 'Tofu Bar' has surpassed 70 million units in cumulative sales.

Asahico, Pulmuone's Japanese subsidiary, announced on the 19th that the Tofu Bar sold locally in Japan has exceeded 70 million units in sales just three and a half years after its launch. Asahico plans to expand its overseas exports starting with its entry into Singapore in April.

The Tofu Bar, first introduced by Asahico at the end of 2020, is a plant-based protein snack that provides a feeling of fullness with 10g of protein per product and features a firm and chewy texture. It has gained great popularity as a healthy snack locally, widely consumed for post-workout protein intake and as a healthy side dish. It surpassed 10 million units sold in December 2021, about a year after its launch, and continued its steep growth by reaching 50 million units sold by September last year. Currently, the Tofu Bar is sold at about 70,000 units daily across approximately 30,000 stores of Japan's three major convenience stores?Seven-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson?and as of the 14th, cumulative sales have exceeded 70 million units.

Asahico continuously releases new Tofu Bar products tailored to local tastes, operating a diverse product lineup. Under its own brand, it sells five varieties including savory kelp, basil salt, lotus root and peas, dried radish, and roasted soy sauce. Including convenience store private brand products such as Yuzukosho flavored with chili and yuzu, a total of 16 types of Tofu Bar products are currently available.

To meet the growing demand for Tofu Bars, Asahico has expanded the Tofu Bar production line at its Kyoda factory located in northern Saitama Prefecture three times?in January 2022, March 2023, and March this year?and currently produces over 2 million Tofu Bar units per month.

Asahico plans to expand Tofu Bar sales to overseas markets starting with Southeast Asia. Mio Ikeda, CEO of Asahico, announced the plan to export Tofu Bars to Singapore at a new business presentation in March and began selling Tofu Bars through convenience store channels in Singapore starting in April. Asahico is exporting to Singapore by rapidly freezing Tofu Bar products at minus 35 degrees Celsius using ultra-fast freezing machines for transportation, and plans to quickly develop sales channels in Southeast Asia including Hong Kong and Taiwan.

CEO Mio Ikeda said, "The Tofu Bar has pioneered a new category of protein health snacks in the stagnant Japanese tofu market and is driving growth in the overall tofu market. Starting with Singapore, we plan to expand sales channels not only in Southeast Asia but also in the United States and Europe, and increase the sales proportion of plant-based product lines including the Tofu Bar to 30% of the total."