Dongwon F&B's 'Richam' Popular in Japan... Aiming for 2.5 Million Cans Sold Next Year

Dongwon F&B 'Richam' local product in Japan. (Photo by Dongwon F&B)

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Dongwon F&B’s canned ham ‘Richam’ is capturing local tastes in Japan.

Dongwon F&B announced on the 10th that since starting sales of Richam at large supermarkets across Japan in May, it has sold over 400,000 cans in just three months by July, recording approximately 1.6 billion KRW in local sales. Dongwon F&B plans to expand sales to 1 million cans by the end of this year, reaching about 4 billion KRW in sales, and aims to increase sales volume to 2.5 million cans next year, achieving 10 billion KRW in sales.

Richam received enthusiastic responses from Japanese consumers even before its official launch. During a pre-sale event conducted to gauge consumer reactions, more than 84,000 cans were sold across all stores within four days, and the store with the highest sales sold about 4,500 cans in just three days, causing supply difficulties.

The strong initial market response to Richam in Japan is analyzed to be due to its low-sodium concept gaining attention in a country where many dishes are highly salty, appealing to local consumers pursuing a healthy diet. Richam communicates with consumers under the slogan “Not salty, healthy Richam,” and since its launch, it has continuously reduced sodium content to create a product that is not salty yet allows consumers to enjoy the original taste of pork.

Additionally, the recent K-food boom has led Japanese consumers to show interest in various dishes using canned ham. Dongwon F&B introduced various menus combining Richam with Korean cuisine, such as Richam cup rice, Richam gimbap, and Richam kimchi stew, conducting recipe marketing so that Japanese people can easily prepare and enjoy these dishes.

Besides Japan, Richam has been exported to a total of 16 countries, mainly in Southeast Asia such as Thailand and the Philippines, since its first export to Hong Kong in 2004. Leveraging this year’s export performance to Japan, the company aims to achieve 10 billion KRW in overseas sales.

A Dongwon F&B official said, “The canned ham export market is rapidly growing mainly in Asia, and the potential for Richam’s success in Japan has been confirmed. We plan to strengthen overseas market marketing through Richam’s differentiated quality and low-sodium concept, and if import barriers for canned ham are lifted in the future, we intend to actively enter the American market.”

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