It Was a Sellout Frenzy... Dujjonku Sales Plunge in the New Year

Bakery and Dessert Sales Up 9.5% in Q4 Last Year
"Dujjonku Craze Cools, Potential Burden for Small Business Owners"

The "Dubai Jjondeuk Cookie" ("Dujjonku") craze led to an increase of over 9% in the average sales of the bakery and dessert sector in the fourth quarter of last year.

According to the "Small Business Trend in Q4 2025" report released on the 9th by Korea Credit Data (KCD), the average sales in the bakery and dessert sector in the fourth quarter of last year rose by 9.5% compared to the previous quarter and by 5.5% compared to the same period last year. The rising popularity of "Dujjonku" since the end of last year appears to have driven this growth in bakery and dessert sector sales.

On January 22, at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, the "2026 Cafe Dessert Fair" featured the "Dubai Jjondeuk Cookie," attracting the attention of the attendees. Photo by Yonhap News

Korea Credit Data's analysis of the impact of the Dujjonku craze on small business owners' performance found that 79% of stores selling Dujjonku were cafes and bakery/dessert businesses. Additionally, Dujjonku was also sold at snack shops (9%), Korean cuisine restaurants (6%), and Western cuisine restaurants (3%).

The average sales of businesses selling Dujjonku have steadily increased since the second half of last year. When setting the average sales in January 2024 as an index of 100, the average sales at Dujjonku-selling stores rose to about 150 during last summer and approached 350 by the end of the year.

However, as the Dujjonku trend quickly cooled, the sales volume of Dujjonku dropped sharply in January. The monthly average sales volume per store peaked at over 1,000 cases around the end of last year, but fell sharply to about 800 cases at the start of this year. Korea Credit Data pointed out that as the Dujjonku trend fades, inventory problems with products and raw materials may become a burden for small business owners.

Dujjonku is a dessert made with kadaif and pistachio paste, wrapped in marshmallow. Its chewy yet crispy texture led to a shortage and nationwide popularity.

Meanwhile, the Korea Consumer Agency issued a consumer safety advisory for Dujjonku after confirming cases of allergies and injuries such as dental damage following consumption. According to the agency, a total of 23 cases related to Dujjonku were reported to the Consumer Injury Surveillance System (CISS) in January and February.

The most common issue was allergic reactions after consumption, with 11 cases (47.8%), followed by digestive disorders in 5 cases (21.7%), dental damage due to foreign substances in 4 cases (17.4%), discovery of foreign substances in 2 cases (8.7%), and oral bleeding caused by foreign substances in 1 case (4.4%).

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