[Distribution Hot People] MD Pick from Le Cordon Bleu... Egg Tart Racing Toward 100 Million Won Monthly Sales

Interview with Yoon Eun-joo, Processed Food MD at Lotte Mart

Yoo Eun-joo, Processed Food MD at Lotte Mart, is being interviewed on the afternoon of the 16th at the Jamsil Lotte World Tower headquarters. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] '600 boxes a day' Lotte Mart's new egg tart product, launched on the first day of the new year, is breaking its own daily sales records and chasing the dream of becoming a '100 million KRW monthly sales' blockbuster dessert. It has captivated housewife customers with its authentic taste of mainland Portugal and affordable price.

On the afternoon of the 16th at Lotte Mart headquarters in Jamsil, Yu Eun-joo, a processed food product planner (MD), said with a broad smile, "At first, we were worried because we sold less than 100 boxes, but now, on weekends, sales reach up to 600 boxes a day, showing a great initial response."

This egg tart product, 'Pastel de Nata Egg Tart,' was launched in collaboration with Panique, the number one producer in Portugal. It is made based on a secret recipe passed down from a Portuguese convent in the 1820s. The same product is also sold by famous caf? brands. It can be prepared using an air fryer or microwave, and the price has been significantly lowered to 3,900 KRW per box (containing 4 pieces). She said, "Well-made private brand (PB) products at marts usually have monthly sales of about 50 million KRW, and in the dessert category, earning 30 million KRW is considered a big hit. Since it has only been about three weeks since the launch, we cautiously expect monthly sales to reach 100 million KRW."

In the mart industry, where the consumer age group is relatively high, mainly housewives in their 40s and 50s, the price barrier for desserts remains strong. Yu Eun-joo MD said, "I hope the culture of enjoying desserts while drinking tea together becomes more active," adding, "Since the response to the first custard product was good, follow-up products such as blueberry and chocolate fillings are scheduled to be released between late March and April."

However, in Korea, where the dessert industry is still in its infancy, the dream of a blockbuster dessert is distant and difficult. In fact, large companies specializing in confectionery and bakery are few in number domestically. Many are small-scale, and there are few places that systematically develop and source desserts, making it difficult to establish overseas distribution channels. Lotte Mart is the first and only domestic company to directly source Panique egg tarts without intermediaries.

The ability to procure cost-effective, famous overseas desserts was largely due to Yu MD's unique capabilities. She is a talented individual who completed the pastry diploma course at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France, one of the world's top culinary schools. After graduating from university, she interned at the dessert shop of Paris's Bon March? department store and worked for about nine years in the product development team of a U.S. confectionery company. She also worked as a bakery R&D researcher at SPC and Maeil Dairies.

She explained that they strictly adhere to overseas food safety standards. Yu MD said, "Once a sourcing contract is requested and the contract proceeds, we conduct a factory audit, then bring the product to Lotte Central Research Institute for ingredient testing," adding, "We conduct inspections with standards even stricter than those of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety." For example, synthetic preservatives called 'sobusang' are sometimes used in European foods, but Lotte completely bans them.

Out of about 60 ideas, only about one-third pass the commercialization threshold. This is why they diligently travel around various countries and apply strict evaluation criteria. "Products that are obviously good will eventually be recognized by consumers." Yu Eun-joo MD, who wants to introduce products that are not embarrassing to customers, is once again busy preparing to attend the 'International Sweets and Biscuits Fair (ISM)' held in Germany on the 2nd of next month.

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