Any Flavor Transformed into Snacks... 'Saetbyeol Chocolate Snack' Appeals to Asian Tastes

[Beautiful Journey] Relay Interview
⑤ GS25-Gourmet
60% Increase in Taiwan Exports Amid COVID-19
Soy Sauce Chicken and Red Velvet Cake Flavors
Popular Foods on SNS Transformed into Snacks

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] The new Korean Wave is fueling a fierce offensive by Korean convenience stores. Among the private brand (PB) snacks of GS25, a convenience store operated by GS Retail, the 'Chocoleta' has maintained its position as a top 3 bestseller for over five years. It has played a key role in exports by gaining great popularity not only in Korea but also in Taiwan. Exposure through the TV program 'Convenience Store Saetbyeol,' supported by GS25, has also increased its recognition across Asia, including Vietnam. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic this year, exports to Taiwan increased by 60% compared to the previous year.

On the 24th, we met Park Hanyong, CEO of Guomei·Deltory·Daesan Food (hereafter collectively referred to as Guomei), the maker of 'GS25 Yours Chocoleta.' CEO Park recalled, "I have been in charge of manufacturing for over 10 years, but we were not responsible for Chocoleta from the beginning. We were supplying national brand (NB) products to GS25 through an intermediary vendor company, but there was a change in the Chocoleta manufacturing partner, and we took over." Currently, Guomei's Yours brand products include dozens of items such as Honey Cheese Snack, Gonggal Hotteok-flavored Snack, and Red Velvet Cake Snack, in addition to Chocoleta.

Han-yong Park, CEO of Guomei

Guomei's history, which started as a small cookie factory in 1986, is somewhat complex. The founding owner transferred shares to CEO Park in 2015 due to illness, leading to a change in management. CEO Park first connected with the company in 2006 and worked as an employee for over 10 years. Trust in the company's internal 'snack artisans,' including the founder, was the foundation that allowed him to invest all his assets and future. CEO Park said, "Currently, including affiliates, there are about 50 people in total, many of whom have worked so long that they can be called 'cookie artisans.' These are not simply elderly workers; some have dedicated over 45 years solely to cookies. As someone specialized in sales rather than food manufacturing, I trusted these people and was able to invest boldly," he said.

The Yours series reflects the times as it is one of the flagship products of convenience stores. It turns foods and tastes that become hot topics on social networking services (SNS) into snacks. CEO Park said, "When I think of the most popular products in the Yours series, I can name Soy Sauce Chicken, Choco Bon, Double Tiramisu, and Red Velvet Cake Snack," adding with a smile, "We are currently preparing the next product for the end of the year, but it is still a secret as it could be exposed to competitors."

Having experienced ups and downs with convenience stores for over 10 years, the company's sales have fluctuated according to the convenience store market conditions. In recent years, sales slowed due to intensified competition among convenience stores, but this year operating profit increased by more than 10% compared to the previous year after COVID-19. This was the result of an unexpected surge in exports.

CEO Park said, "It has only been about four years since I took on the role of CEO, but I have a strong attachment as I invested all my assets in the future," adding, "I will leverage my experience in character licensing and sales to make efforts in both manufacturing and distribution." He also did not forget to express his determination to expand the range beyond cookies and snacks to other dessert categories such as bread.

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