[Distribution Hot People] Tongtong's Yakgwa and Cookies 'Big Hit'... 10 Million Units Sales Target

Use of Large 43~45g Yakgwa
Subtly Spreading Cinnamon Scent
New Product Launch in Mid-Month

"The cumulative sales of Iutjip Tongtongyi Yakgwa Cookies have surpassed 2 million units. We believe that as the variety of products increases, purchases will become more active. Our goal is to sell 10 million units within this year."

Minsu Park, Product Planner (MD) of the Snack Food Team at BGF Retail. [Photo by BGF Retail]

On the afternoon of the 29th of last month, Park Minsu, a product planner (MD) of the snack food team at BGF Retail, whom we met at the BGF Retail headquarters in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, said, "When the product was first launched, the initial batch of 100,000 units sold out within five days," adding, "At that time, demand was so high that pre-orders were difficult, and supply could not keep up."

Tongtongyi Yakgwa Cookies are products released in collaboration with the popular cafe ‘Iutjip Tongtongyi’ in Apgujeong Rodeo. MD Park said, "Observing the 'Halmaennial' (grandmother + millennial) trend, I thought that making desserts with Yakgwa would sell well," and added, "I believed that collaborating with a cafe popular among young people would create greater synergy."

The distinguishing features of Tongtongyi Yakgwa Cookies are their size and taste. MD Park emphasized, "In existing dessert specialty stores, Yakgwa weighs about 30g, but we use large Yakgwa weighing 43 to 45g, and we also increased the cookie size for toppings," and added, "In terms of taste, the subtle cinnamon scent from the Yakgwa is the key point."

Tongtongyi Yakgwa Cookies rank among the top in the dessert category, with mainly women in their 20s and 30s purchasing them. MD Park explained, "Following the Yonsei Milk Cream Bread, it is recording a high rank within the category," and said, "The MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) seems very interested in new desserts using traditional ingredients. Customers in their 20s and 30s account for 70%, and the proportion of women is higher than men."

Ideas for dessert products are obtained from famous restaurants and hot places. MD Park said, "Whenever I visit a region, I always look for special restaurants or dessert shops and try their food," and added, "Recently, I went to Jeju Island and experienced desserts made with Gujwa carrots, which gave me many insights."

The third version of Tongtongyi Yakgwa Cookies will be released in mid-this month. MD Park said, "We are planning Yakgwa Cookies incorporating flavors popular among the 20s and 30s these days," and added, "We plan to operate up to the fourth version by varying the flavors intermittently, with the ultimate goal of establishing it as a steady seller."

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