Government Distribution Support Drives Success for Gunsan Oat-Based Meal Replacements

Participation in Ministry of SMEs and Startups and Korea SMEs Distribution Agency Program
Brand Awareness Grows Beyond Online Limitations
Monthly Sales Soar from 1.5 Million to 30 Million Won After Support

Farmer Dream, a meal replacement brand that directly cultivates oats and beans in Gunsan, has been expanding its sales and developing new distribution channels by leveraging government distribution linkage support.

According to Farmer Dream on the 29th, its flagship product, 'Oat Misutgaru,' is characterized by its savory and mild flavor, achieved by using oven-roasted oats. The company minimizes nutrient loss through a low-temperature process and reduces digestive burden by grinding the oats into a uniform particle size.

Farmer Dream's 'Gunsan Oat Misutgaru'. Korea Small and Medium Business Distribution Agency

Farmer Dream is a small and medium-sized enterprise that offers meal replacements made with agricultural products from the Gunsan region. The company was founded by CEO Lee Sungil, who, after working for 27 years at a chemical company, became interested in oat cultivation. While working full-time, Lee spent weekends helping local farmers in Gunsan and confirmed the potential for oat cultivation. Based on this experience, he began developing meal replacements using local agricultural products.

As a small business, Farmer Dream faced challenges in marketing due to limited manpower and budget. The company found a breakthrough by participating in the government's 'Large Distribution Network Linkage Support' program. This initiative, operated by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea Small and Medium Business Distribution Agency, supports small businesses by helping their products enter large private offline distribution channels. This year, three distribution channels, including LG Uplus and KORAIL Retail, participated in the collaboration.

CEO Lee said, "For small businesses, the continuously rising marketing costs inevitably become a burden. While searching for ways to expand product sales nationwide, I learned about the Large Distribution Network Linkage Support program and decided to participate." He added, "After being selected for support, we were matched with KORAIL Retail and were able to sell our products at the SME Premium Maru stores located in Seoul Station and Daejeon Station."

Choosing to expand into offline distribution channels, rather than relying solely on online sales, also proved effective. He explained, "Online sales involve significant costs for creating detailed product pages and advertising, and competition is fierce, making it difficult to gain exposure. In contrast, entering large offline stores was more effective in raising brand awareness."

The most significant result following participation in the support program was increased sales. Farmer Dream's monthly average sales rose from about 1.5 million won last year to approximately 50 million won this year after joining the program. The company also achieved results such as producing promotional videos, developing its own character, and establishing more than 10 new offline sales channels.

CEO Lee stated, "Customers who purchased our products offline later visited our online store, which greatly contributed to our sales growth. With support for video advertising at Yongsan Station, our online sales surged, and we also received B2B inquiries related to entering overseas markets, including Canada and the United States."

Looking ahead, Farmer Dream plans to enter the domestic home shopping market and further explore overseas distribution channels. Additionally, the company aims to develop new products such as grain ice cream and cookies, with the goal of establishing Farmer Dream products as 'Korean-style oatmeal.'