K-Yakgwa Conquers US Dessert Market... Enters Costco

Samlip Plans to Export 5 Million Units This Year
Sold at Over 200 Stores Including Seattle and San Francisco

Samlip announced on the 28th that it has begun full-scale global business expansion, including listing its representative K-dessert product, ‘Samlip Yakgwa,’ at the US ‘Costco.’

Samlip recently completed the shipment of an initial 100 tons of Samlip Yakgwa for export to the US and plans to ship an additional 50 tons within this year. This quantity, equivalent to about 5 million pieces, is the largest volume of Yakgwa exports in Samlip’s history.

The exported Samlip Yakgwa will be sold starting December at over 200 Costco stores across the US, including Seattle and San Francisco. Along with the Costco launch, some stores will hold tasting events to actively introduce the taste of Samlip Yakgwa to local consumers.

Samlip has been increasing awareness by selling Samlip Yakgwa mainly through Asian markets in the US such as ‘H Mart’ and ‘Hannam Chain.’ With this export, Samlip plans to expand its entry into the mainstream market by starting sales at Costco, which is frequented mainly by local consumers.

In August, Samlip expanded its market by listing Samlip Yakgwa at all 620 branches of the large Japanese variety store ‘Don Quijote.’ Don Quijote is a representative Japanese retail store visited not only by locals but also by tourists. Riding on word of mouth locally, Samlip Yakgwa was additionally listed at the Japanese imported food specialty store ‘Aeon Caferrant’ and the Kanto region liquor market ‘Summit.’

Last year, Samlip Yakgwa received enthusiastic attention from buyers and visitors at ‘ANUGA,’ the world’s largest food fair, gaining recognition for its marketability overseas. In particular, the ‘Carearth Yakgwa,’ made from rice flour and soybean pulp flour, was selected as a finalist in ANUGA’s flagship event ‘Anuga Taste Innovation Show,’ which chooses products leading global food trends.

Additionally, Samlip continues to expand exports of its representative bakery products such as Samlip Hobbang, steamed cakes, and fresh cream bread. Especially, steamed cakes, known for their chewy texture and rich flavor, have gained great popularity among locals in Vietnam, the Philippines, and the Middle East, leading to a surge in exports to these countries in the first half of the year and the expansion of new production lines to meet increased demand. Fresh cream bread has attracted significant attention among local influencers in the US, creating a culture of sharing experiences with the product on social media, further boosting its popularity.

A Samlip official said, “The unique chewy texture and sweet taste of Yakgwa have elicited positive responses from overseas consumers, establishing it as a representative K-dessert. We expect overseas sales to grow by more than 30% compared to last year as we accelerate our global business.”