2200 won ramen that Lee Jung-jae also fell in love with… 3 million units sold in one month

Harim(2,715 -1.45%)With this actor Lee Jung-jae as a model, while actively promoting the new premium ramen ‘The Gourmet Artisan Ramen’, the industry and Harim’s reactions are mixed as to whether or not the product will be successful in the early stages. While there are voices in the industry saying, “It’s not a meaningless sale, but it’s hard to see it as a big hit,” Harim’s side gave a positive evaluation, saying, “The initial volume is being sold faster than expected.”

On the 28th, Harim uploaded a video titled ‘Gourmet Lee Jung-jae’s Q&A interview’ on the YouTube channel of the ‘The Gourmet’ brand.

In this video, Lee Jung-jae praised the product he modeled for, saying, “The gourmet artisan ramen was definitely different from the first time I tasted it. I could feel the taste of the ingredients in the soup.” He continued, “Mushrooms, bok choy, and the ingredients went well with the noodles as well as the soup, so there was no feeling of playing with the noodles and the broth separately.

Chairman Kim Hong-guk of Harim. [사진=하림 제공]

When Harim launched this product, Chairman Kim Hong-guk took the initiative and put a lot of effort into marketing. Chairman Kim attended a media day to commemorate the product launch last month and made instant noodles himself, saying, “About 7 years ago, my youngest daughter had a swollen mouth and atopy after eating commercially available ramen. I thought I should make healthy ramen without artificial seasoning. “He also told a story.

He said, “The demand for organic and fresh ingredients is clear in Europe and the United States, so I think there will be more interest in gourmet artisan ramen. Exports are expected to be possible from next year,” he said, suggesting a sales target of 70 billion won for next year.

On the 18th of this month, Harim announced that The Gourmet Artisan Ramen sold over 3 million bags in about a month, but the industry said, “It’s not a noticeable level of performance.”

An industry official said, “The figure of 3 million units sold per month is not meaningless.” pointed out

[사진=하림 제공]

In fact, the products that caused a ‘blast’ in the ramen industry have achieved more than that without any special marketing. Samyang Foods(82,000 -1.80%)‘Carbo Buldak Fried Noodles’ is a typical example. 11 million units were sold within a month of release without the use of a separate model. Ottogi(453,000 -0.11%) ‘Sesame Ramen’ also recorded sales of 3 million units in the first month of its launch, similar to that of gourmet artisan ramen. This product was not advertised separately.

Again, the key is ‘price’. Another industry insider analyzed, “As there is a strong perception that ramyun is an instant food eaten at a low price, the price of 2,200 won per bag may be objectionable to consumers.” The price of The Gourmet Artisan Ramen is about 30% higher than the existing premium ramen, Shin Ramyun Black and Jin Jjambbong (more than 1,700 won).

However, Harim seems to be positive about the sales trend at the beginning of its release. Considering that it is expensive and there are barriers to entry, it can be seen as a significant sales figure.

A Harim official said, “The cumulative sales exceeded 3 million bags in about a month after launch. That means more than one bag was sold per second.” there,” he said. “In response to consumer response, we plan to convert the existing two-shift production line to a three-shift work system and significantly expand production volume by reviewing production line extensions,” he said.

Reporter Lee Mi-kyung, Hankyung.com capital@hankyung.com