Enter 2021.03.20 06:00
Sweet and salty confectionery, ramen in the 80s, national gum of memory… Re-launched on a retro frenzy
Expert “Don’t settle for the hits in the past, and keep showing new products.”
The food industry is relaunching successive hit products that were discontinued in the past. This is because more and more consumers miss the taste of childhood memories due to the new retro (newtro) craze. From the standpoint of companies, it has been verified once by consumers, and it can enjoy a win-win effect in that it can reduce the cost of technology development (R&D) for launching new products.
Orion re-launched’Sun Taste of the Sun’, which was discontinued in 2016, in 2018 after two years. It recorded 100 million units in cumulative sales over the next three years. Production of this product was inevitably stopped due to the loss of the production line due to a factory fire in 2016, but it came back at the request of consumers. Last year, amid an increase in the number of home alcoholic beverages due to coronavirus infection (Corona 19), it was attracting attention as’anzu snacks’ and sold over 3 billion won a month. Average monthly sales are 36% higher than before discontinuation. An official from Orion said, “We have reproduced the flavors and packages of the past in line with the Newtro craze.”
Samyang Food (003230)Recently launched’Samyang Ramen Gold’ container noodles. Launched in 1982, this product added various seafood such as katsuodashi, squid, tuna, shrimp, oysters, mussels, dried seaweed, and dried seaweed to Samyang Ramen for a deep and cool soup taste. Although it was discontinued in the process of organizing the product line, the bag was first introduced in July of last year due to continuous demands from consumers.
The exterior packaging of this product uses the logo, font, and color of Samyang Ramen Gold, which was sold in the 1980s. An official at Samyang Food said, “Samyang Ramen Gold is not simply a discontinued old product, but a part of a long memory,” and said, “It will get a good response from middle-aged people who miss the past and young people who are curious about retro styles.”
Lotte Confectionery (280360)Also,’Fresh Mint Gum’, which was discontinued, will be re-launched after 3 years. This gum is a product that Lotte Confectionery, founded in 1967, established a factory in Yangpyeong-dong, Seoul, and was born as the No. 1 product. It was once called’national gum’ as a product that soothed the taste buds in the 1970s~1980s when food wasn’t plentiful. In the 2000s, production was discontinued in 2017 with the launch of various products including xylitol gum.
However, Lotte Confectionery decided to re-launch it, reflecting the request of enthusiasts who remember the old gum and the recent increase in the number of consumers who drink mint tea such as peppermint in the tea market. An official at Lotte Confectionery said, “Currently, Juicy Fresh and Spearmint Gum are generating sales of around 4 billion won each year.” did.
McDonald’s also re-released the’McLunch Set’, which offers a 14% discount on average from the regular price from 10:30 am to 2 pm on popular burgers. A McDonald’s official said, “With continuous requests, we have composed MacLunch with 7 types of popular burger set menus that customers prefer.” I did,” he explained. Through Happy Snack, you can enjoy burgers and side menus all day at a discount of up to 30%.
However, until the end of the McLunch set in 2018, 20 kinds of discounts were available, but there are complaints among consumers that the revived McLunch set only offers 7 kinds of discounts, including Big Mac and Maxpicy Shanghai Burger. With the resurrection of the McLunch set, the’land of happiness’, which sells popular products for 1,000-2,000 won, and’Mac All Day,’ where you can enjoy popular burgers at a discounted price all day, have been abolished.
“It looks like retro marketing based on Jeong (情),” said Kim Ki-chan, a professor of business administration at Catholic University. “It’s a stable marketing, but food companies should not only rely on popular products in the past, but should diversify their business portfolios with new products.”