Pulmuone Tofu Bar Selected as '2021 Best Hit Product Convenience Store Category Grand Prize' in Japan

Three Types of Tofu Bars Sold by Pulmuone Japan Corporation Asahiko

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Pulmuone’s healthy snack ‘Dubu Bar’ has been selected as the top hit product in Japanese convenience stores.

Pulmuone announced on the 20th that its new concept plant-based protein snack ‘Dubu Bar,’ launched locally in Japan, was chosen as the ‘2021 CVS (Convenience Store) Best Hit Product’ by the Japanese monthly magazine Nikkei Trend.

‘Dubu Bar,’ first introduced by Pulmuone’s Japanese subsidiary Asahiko in November last year, surpassed cumulative sales of 9 million units within one year of its launch. Pulmuone analyzed that despite being sold exclusively through the convenience store channel Seven-Eleven, this achievement was possible because the product was planned by accurately understanding the demand of Japanese consumers who want to conveniently maintain their health.

Nikkei Trend explained the reason for selecting Asahiko’s Dubu Bar as a hit product, stating, “Dubu Bar is an easy-to-eat stick-shaped tofu containing 2.7 times more protein than kinugoshi tofu (tofu made by solidifying high-concentration soy milk and cutting it). It has gained popularity among people who like salad chicken and is favored as a simple meal option for lunch and other occasions.”

Nikkei Trend is a prominent business monthly magazine affiliated with the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, covering trends, trending products, services, and businesses. Every December issue features articles on the year’s hit products and predictions for the next year’s hits, and this content holds significant influence in Japan.

This year, five products sold through convenience store channels, including Asahiko’s Dubu Bar, were selected in the CVS category, with Asahiko’s Dubu Bar receiving the grand prize.

Following the milestone of 9 million cumulative sales, Asahiko’s Dubu Bar is expected to exceed 10 million units by January next year. Asahiko has expanded production lines at two local factories to further promote Dubu Bar and plant-based foods, with plans to start full-scale operation from next year. Additionally, it plans to expand nationwide sales through convenience store channels other than Seven-Eleven and B2B channels.

Ikeda, Marketing Director of Asahiko, stated, “Starting next year, our flagship product Dubu Bar will be produced in greater quantities with the expanded production lines, and opportunities for expansion into other channels are opening up. We will strive to broaden the uses of Dubu Bar and further improve product quality to become the No.1 plant-based food.”

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