Korea-China-Vietnam Love Poca Chip and Swing Chip Achieve 200 Billion KRW Sales... Record High

Vietnam 'Pocachip' Sales Up About 34%, 'Swingchip' About 19%, Record High
Strengthening Global Snack Confectionery Dominance Following Pie, Building Sustainable Growth Engine

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] Orion announced on the 15th that its flagship fresh potato snacks, ‘Pocachip’ and ‘Swingchip,’ achieved a global hit by surpassing combined sales of 200 billion KRW last year in Korea, China, and Vietnam. The cumulative sales volume reached approximately 380 million packs.

In Vietnam, Pocachip (local name: O′Star) achieved sales of 21.9 billion KRW, growing about 34% compared to the previous year, securing the No. 1 position in the local fresh potato snack market for three consecutive years. Swingchip (local name: Swing) also recorded sales of 15.8 billion KRW, an increase of about 19% year-on-year. Orion’s market share in Vietnam’s fresh potato snack sector is about 37%, strengthening its market dominance by surpassing leading global products. In China, Swingchip (local name: Haoyouchu, 好友趣) achieved sales of 83 billion KRW, a 15% increase from the previous year. In Korea, Pocachip and Swingchip each exceeded sales of 72.4 billion KRW and 19 billion KRW, respectively, showing a meaningful growth rate of over 5% year-on-year despite challenging market conditions.

Orion attributes the growth of fresh potato snacks to its ‘localization strategy,’ which involves closely analyzing local snack market trends and consumer needs to introduce new products tailored to consumer preferences. In Vietnam, the company developed various flavors such as seaweed, kimchi, and steak flavors, which are highly favored by local consumers, capturing their taste buds. In China, recognizing the recent preference among young consumers for the natural, mild taste of potatoes without strong seasoning, the newly launched ‘cucumber flavor’ last year captivated the taste of the 1020 young generation, contributing to overall brand sales growth. In Korea, three limited-edition flavors introduced last summer?‘Roasted Garlic,’ ‘Spicy Soy Sauce,’ and ‘Shiitake Mushroom’?which embody the taste of representative Korean ingredients, gained great popularity as snacks for drinking, driving overall brand growth.

Orion also considers its ‘Good Packaging Project,’ which increased product quantity without changing prices to enhance consumer satisfaction, as a key factor. In 2015, Orion increased the quantity of Pocachip by 10% in Korea without changing the price. Last year, the company increased the quantity of Pocachip and Swingchip by 20% each in Vietnam, and also increased Swingchip by 20% in China, receiving strong positive responses from consumers.

Securing high-quality raw materials, which determine the taste of fresh potato snacks, also played a role in winning consumers’ favor. In Vietnam, Orion signed contracts with local potato farmers and uses about 10,000 tons of high-quality potatoes annually for production through agricultural technology support and seed potato supply. In China, the company operates its own farm in the Inner Mongolia region, receiving over 15,000 tons of potatoes annually. In Korea, Orion uses 12,000 tons of potatoes harvested from renowned high-quality potato cultivation areas such as Boseong in Jeollanam-do, Dangjin in Chungcheongnam-do, Gumi in Gyeongsangbuk-do, and Yanggu in Gangwon-do from June to November.

An Orion official said, “Orion’s flagship fresh potato snacks are loved in overseas markets, standing shoulder to shoulder with global brands,” adding, “Based on over 30 years of accumulated know-how in manufacturing fresh potato snacks, we will continuously develop differentiated products with unique taste and texture to enhance our status as a leading snack brand in the global market.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.