CJ CheilJedang's (097950.KS) Bibigo Gimbap is expanding rapidly across U.S. retail channels and sustaining sales growth. The number of stores carrying the product rose from about 1,900 last year to more than 4,700 this year, while sales for January through July climbed 59% from a year earlier.
CJ CheilJedang said on the 1st that the number of U.S. stores selling Bibigo Gimbap increased 145% to 4,734 this year from 1,924 last year.
Bibigo Gimbap began its push into the U.S. mainstream market in December 2024, when it entered the large grocery chain Kroger. It has since expanded to Albertsons, Food Lion, Cub and Meijer, and is now sold through 10 major U.S. retail channels.
Sales grew along with the distribution network. U.S. sales of Bibigo Gimbap rose 59% in the January-July period from the same period last year. CJ CheilJedang said it sees strong growth potential as local consumer interest in Korean food increases and as the characteristics of gimbap align with a U.S. food culture built around convenience.
The company is also stepping up marketing aimed at local consumers. CJ CheilJedang is running a Bibigo Gimbap campaign in Los Angeles under the theme "OG Recognizes OG." The campaign uses "OG" to mean both "Original" and "Original Gimbap," focusing on conveying the authentic taste and identity of Korean gimbap.
The company is also promoting the product through social media. It produced content with Danny Kim, a Korean food creator with about 9 million followers on platforms including TikTok and YouTube, introducing simple ways to prepare and use Bibigo Gimbap.
CJ CheilJedang currently sells bulgogi and spicy bulgogi varieties of Bibigo Gimbap in the United States. It plans to introduce additional products using Korean ingredients and dishes while continuing to expand its U.S. sales channels. "The United States has high interest in Korean food and a well-developed culture of convenient eating, so gimbap has significant growth potential," a CJ CheilJedang official said. "We will strengthen marketing aimed at local consumers."
