Lotte Wellfood 'Pepero'... Targeting the Global Market

Overseas Sales Surpassed Domestic Last Year
First Overseas Production Base Established in India

The Pepero brand, first launched by Lotte Wellfood in 1983, is widely regarded as a national snack. Pepero gained explosive popularity after 'Pepero Day.' As Pepero Day, which originated spontaneously among students in the 1990s, spread, it became a representative 'K-holiday,' and Pepero is now expanding beyond Korea to overseas markets.

The Pepero brand, first launched by Lotte Wellfood in 1983, is widely regarded as a national snack. Photo of Pepero styling cut. Provided by Lotte Wellfood

Pepero's export sales in the first half of last year amounted to approximately 32.5 billion KRW, marking about a 30% increase compared to the same period the previous year, surpassing domestic sales (31.5 billion KRW). This was the first time that Pepero's overseas sales exceeded domestic sales on a half-year basis.

Since 2020, Lotte Wellfood has been conducting global integrated marketing for Pepero under the same slogan both domestically and internationally. Through this marketing, Pepero was sold in over 50 countries overseas in 2023, with export revenue reaching about 54 billion KRW. This represents a growth rate exceeding 80% compared to 2020, when the global integrated marketing was first implemented. Currently, Pepero records sales in the 200 billion KRW range combining domestic and international markets.

In January last year, Lotte Wellfood selected India as the first overseas production base for the Lotte Pepero brand and decided to invest 2.1 billion Indian Rupees (approximately 33 billion KRW) in new facilities for local Pepero production at the Haryana plant of its local subsidiary, LOTTE India. The Haryana plant, aiming for local production in the second half of this year, plans to secure idle space and establish automated production lines for products with high local demand, such as Original Pepero and Crunky Pepero.

Once the Haryana plant is completed, the distribution volume that was previously produced domestically and exported overseas will be directly supplied, enabling expansion of the domestic market in India as well as exports to neighboring countries. A Lotte Wellfood official said, "Recently, along with K-POP and K-FOOD, the number of consumers interested in Korea overseas is increasing, and it seems that Pepero is continuing its high growth in the global market. We will also actively promote the Pepero Day culture so that people around the world can enjoy it together."