Taking advantage of the popularity of Korean food in North America
By Feature Editor Lee Sam-sun, Reporter Richard Park
Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), led by CEO Yoo Jung-yeol, held the 'SEOUL FOOD in NY Pop-up Store' in New York City for two days beginning on Nov. 17, 2023 to support Korean food companies to enter the North American export market.
The event is an exhibition promotion project designed to help K-food companies, including those participating in the Seoul International Food Industry Exhibition (Seoul Food), Asia's four largest F&B exhibitions, enter the North American market and open up new sales channels.
Recently, 'Frozen Gimbap' (frozen rice rolled in lava sheet with vegetables, meat, fish, etc.), which was planned and sold by Trader Joe's, a large U.S. retail chain, was so successful that it was sold out locally through SNS marketing. Gimbap has emerged as a new export product of K-Food, and many food exporters are dreaming of success in the North American market.
Taking advantage of the popularity of Korean food in North America, KOTRA has introduced a pop-up store program to support K-Food exporters to enter local online and offline distribution networks and conduct B2C promotions in order to raise brand awareness and expand sales.
The pop-up store, which is located right across from the Union Square, one of the most heavily trafficked areas in New York City, received high interest from local consumers, with more than 1,000 persons visiting during the event.
In particular, the pop-up store collaborated with local distribution platforms specializing in K-FOOD, Fence Mall and Kim's Market, to introduce various Korean food products and hold tasting events on site for two days.
In addition, the Korean American National Alliance (KANA), a non-profit organization for artists in New York, also participated in the event.
Korean-American chefs from KANA, who graduated from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and who are working in famous restaurants in New York City, organized a cooking event.
Using a variety of Korean food products on display, the chefs created their own recipes, revealing Korean and modern dishes that attracted the attention of many visitors.
KANA also promoted its online-based K-FOOD brand through social media marketing utilizing influencers to target Alpha generation, an emerging consumer group in North America. "Through this pop-up store, we were able to introduce various K-FOOD products to New York," said President & CEO Woo Jin-sol, who has more than 247,000 followers. "Many followers and influencers who love Korean food and culture also showed interest in the pop-up event."
"Now is the right time to enter the North American food market as interest in Korean food culture has never been higher," said Park Sung-ho, Head of KOTRA North America. "We will support more Korean exporters to promote their brands and products locally and expand their export sales."