I Paid 5000 Won for a 1700 Won Snack... Sales Plummet for This Snack

Sales Decrease by Two-Thirds
Nongshim: "Established as a Steady Seller"

Sales of Nongshim's Meoktaekang, which has been on the market for over a year, have dropped to two-thirds of its peak level.

This has led to observations that the popularity of Meoktaekang, which once reached a peak during a 'sold-out frenzy,' is now on the decline. At the same time, there is hope that it is establishing itself as a steady seller that has captivated consumers' tastes over a long period.

Nongshim Snack Meoktaekkang.
Photo by Nongshim

According to Nongshim on the 15th, Meoktaekang's sales last month were recorded at 2.3 million packs. This is a decrease of 1.1 million packs (32%) compared to the monthly peak sales of 3.4 million packs in April.

Meoktaekang is a product launched by Nongshim at the end of June last year, combining the popular flavor of Meoktae, a favored beer snack. It is also a sequel to 'Saewookkang,' known as the 'national snack.' It gained phenomenal popularity, selling 1 million packs within a week of launch and surpassing 30 million packs in cumulative sales. Some convenience stores were unable to receive products even after placing orders.

At that time, 'Meoktaekang certification' became a trend on social media. Production, which was 300,000 packs per week at launch, was doubled. On Nongshim's own online store, Nongshim Mall, purchase quantities were limited to 4 packs per ID per order. Since supply was limited but demand was high, the product was traded on secondhand platforms at 2 to 3 times the retail price (1,700 won).

Also, riding on Meoktaekang's popularity, the 'Potato Chip Meoktae Cheongyang Mayo Flavor,' released last January, ranked second in sales. The cup noodle version, 'Meoktaekang Big Bowl Noodles,' sold 2.7 million units. Recently, it has become easier to find in convenience stores. This is partly due to production being expanded from only the Busan factory to also include the Asan factory, doubling output.

A Nongshim official explained that sales have decreased compared to the peak since more than a year has passed since Meoktaekang's launch. However, they emphasized, "Maintaining sales at the current level means that Meoktaekang has established itself as a steady seller."

In fact, Meoktaekang's cumulative sales over 1 year and 2 months reached 33 million packs, making it the fourth best-selling snack among Nongshim's own products after Saewookkang, Potato Chip, and Honey Twist.

Meanwhile, Honey Butter Chip, launched in July 2014, also gained huge popularity after its release, with production unable to keep up with consumption. It was difficult to find in supermarkets, and it was traded at prices higher than the retail price on secondhand platforms. Later, as supply increased and the temporarily heightened demand decreased, it became a snack that is easy to find.