The Vietnam, Russia and India subsidiaries were cited as the main drivers behind Orion's sales growth over the past five years. Since 2020 through last year, Orion's sales increased by more than 1 trillion won, and analysis showed that the combined sales share of these subsidiaries roughly doubled. By contrast, the sales share of Orion's Korea and China subsidiaries either held steady or declined.
According to the related industry on the 23rd, Orion's sales rose by more than 1 trillion won over the five years since 2020. Based on 2020 figures, Orion's sales were 2.2298 trillion won, and last year they reached 3.3324 trillion won, a 49.4% increase (1.1026 trillion won) in five years.
The notable point is that sales growth was made possible thanks to the Vietnam, Russia and India markets. Looking at the sales share by country over five years, the domestic subsidiary's sales share held at around 34% in both 2020 and 2025. The sales share of the China subsidiary, which had been Orion's key overseas market, fell from 49% to 39%. In contrast, the combined sales of the Vietnam, Russia and India subsidiaries doubled from 14% in 2020 to 27%.
In the food industry, the view is that Orion's strategy to diversify sales has taken root. Since the early 1990s, it has designated China, Vietnam and Russia as core markets and continued market research, exports and investment, and the company has now entered a period of reaping the rewards.
Orion's history of advancing into overseas markets spans more than 30 years. In 1993, when food companies were running their businesses on the back of domestic growth, Orion began its push into the China market with a Beijing office. At the time, Orion Choco Pie gained a foothold in China, but assessments were lukewarm. There was a tendency to downplay the success, saying Chair Dam Cheol-gon of Orion succeeded because he is a third-generation Chinese diaspora businessperson.
But the reaction is different now. As sales have grown in emerging markets beyond China, voices within food companies are saying they should learn Orion's methods for cracking overseas markets. A food industry official said, "Samyang Foods, which is seen as performing well overseas, faces the task of creating another brand beyond Buldak, whereas Orion has brands such as Choco Pie, Pocachip and My Gummy that each generate more than 100 billion won in annual sales by domestic and overseas standards," adding, "There is much to learn from Orion's overseas market operating know-how, built up steadily over a long period through successful experiences abroad."
To target overseas markets, Orion focused on actively understanding local consumer preferences. It examined favored flavors, textures and food cultures. A representative confection that helped the Vietnam subsidiary take root is the rice snack "An." As of last year, sales of the An rice snack were around 81 billion won. In Vietnam, it is the second-highest-selling product after Choco Pie.
An Orion official said, "Because people enjoy rice noodles and rice as staples, we thought rice snacks would also resonate," adding, "We devoted two years to development, and it worked in the market that we offered a variety of flavors reflecting how Vietnamese consumers favor sweet tastes and seafood—from seaweed and katsuobushi to sesame and butter-grilled corn."
In the Russia market, launching a variety of Choco Pies was one factor in its success. Russians have a strong culture of enjoying tea and cake, and the company carefully reflected the habit of pairing them with jams such as raspberry or mango. It introduced various products to consumers, including raspberry Choco Pie, cherry Choco Pie and watermelon Choco Pie. An Orion official said, "In Russia, we produce 12 types of Choco Pies."
The India subsidiary's strategy for success is similar. Taking into account that many people are vegetarians for religious and cultural reasons, the company produces and sells Choco Pies made with vegetarian marshmallows and is expanding consumer touchpoints by offering strawberry, orange, coconut and mango Choco Pies that are popular with Indians.
A food industry official said, "In a situation where it is hard to find growth opportunities in overseas markets, Orion is delivering results steadily," adding, "There is something to learn in that this is not a case of being limited to a single product or enjoying a brief, flashy boom."