ORION said on the 6th that as more inbound foreign tourists are choosing Bichovi as a "Korean travel gift," it will double production of the "Bichovi National Museum of Korea edition" for the month of November.
The Bichovi National Museum of Korea edition (Korea edition) is a product that features on its packaging the "Jakhodo" (a folk painting of a magpie and a tiger), which inspired the tiger characters "Duffy" and "Seo" from the Netflix animated series "K-pop Demon Hunters" that has recently taken the world by storm, along with eight cultural heritage items. Through the third quarter this year, Bichovi sales grew 80% from the same period in 2023, the year after its launch.
In particular, it is highly popular with foreign tourists visiting Korea, ranking No. 1 in snack category sales at Lotte Mart Zetta Plex Seoul Station. Centered on major tourist commercial districts such as Seoul Station and Myeong-dong, the "Bichovi National Museum of Korea edition" sold 300,000 units within a month of its release. Although it was initially planned as a limited quantity in September, as positive responses continued from not only foreign tourists but also domestic consumers, ORION, in consultation with the National Museum of Korea Cultural Foundation, plans to expand sales channels to convenience stores and increase production to 600,000 units.
ORION is also pushing to export Bichovi. The first target is the U.S. market. Starting in January next year, it plans to make an initial splash by introducing the "Bichovi National Museum of Korea edition" infused with K-culture mainly at Asian markets and Korean markets, then increase touchpoints with local distribution channels and expand the number of countries where it is sold.
An ORION official said, "Bichovi is the 'favorite snack' chosen by inbound foreign visitors," adding, "It will be an opportunity to promote Korea's cultural value to the world while showcasing the excellence of K-snacks."