Sales Increased 16 Times... 'Grilled Bread' Emerges as a Massive Hit Item

Homeplus Montblanc Bakery 'Croissant Dough' Sales Up 1500%
Auction, SSG.com, Lotte ON Online Malls
Kitchen Scales, Bread Crumbs, and Flour All on the Rise

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] As home cafes become more popular, the popularity of 'bread to bake' continues to rise. With air fryers becoming essential home appliances and the trend toward simplified baking unfolding, attention is focusing on bread as an alternative to home-cooked meals.

According to Homeplus on the 13th, as of the 7th, sales of the frozen dough for croissants from its own bakery brand 'Montblancje' increased by about 1500% compared to the same period last year over the past month. Sales also rose about 30% compared to the previous month, continuing a monthly sales growth trend. Since it has become difficult to purchase popular items on social networking services (SNS) such as croffles (a combination of croissant and waffle) and sausage croissants in person, it is interpreted that home baking demand has increased.

This trend is even more pronounced in online malls. During the same period, frozen dough sales on Auction increased by 220% compared to the same period last year. Kitchen scales rose 103%, bread crumbs 95%, cake stands and trays 88%, flour 60%, and baking mixes 45% in sales. Capsule coffee machines saw a 480% increase in sales, milk frothers 190%, sparkling water makers 88%, and coffee maker accessories 44%, all showing strong sales.

At SSG.com, frozen dough sales surged by 400%. Bakery items increased by 127%, frozen cakes 60%, coffee beans 50%, capsule coffee 39%, and espresso coffee machines 30%, showing notable growth. On Lotte On’s Lotte Mart, various croissant-related fermented frozen dough products such as 'Saengsaeng Bbangsanghoe Mini Butter Croissant' and 'Saengsaeng Bbangsanghoe Mini Croissant Waffle' are also being sold.

Frozen dough is a product that has been rapidly frozen after the dough is prepared during the intermediate baking process. Its strength lies in the convenience of instant cooking at home using an air fryer or similar appliance. It can be stored frozen, so it has a relatively long shelf life. Han Jiyoon (a pseudonym), a member of a large domestic mom cafe, said, "Even without an air fryer, it tastes good when lightly baked in a pan," adding, "It tastes like bakery bread, has high cost-effectiveness (performance relative to price), and I plan to repurchase."

An official from the distribution industry said, "Frozen dough has been an item gaining attention mainly among housewife communities such as mom cafes since the end of last year amid the trend of air fryers becoming essential appliances," and added, "Especially this year, due to the COVID-19 issue, as more time is spent cooking meals and snacks for children at home, interest seems to have increased."

Another distribution industry official explained, "Sales are increasing as various recipes using frozen dough have become popular recently in online communities," and added, "Moreover, as the number of people eating meals at home increases, the popularity of bread as a substitute for regular meals is rising, leading to an increase in general bakery demand as well."

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