You can recreate the texture of freshly boiled noodles at home through rapid freezing technology. We aim to grow frozen noodles into the realm of premium noodle meals.
Kim Mira, head of communications at NoodleLovers (executive director), said this at "NoodleLovers Media Day" held at T&I1010 in Insadong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 18th. NoodleLovers, a company specializing in noodles and sauces, said it would step up its push into the summer noodle market and unveiled its frozen noodle technology and strategy to expand the consumer market (B2C).
NoodleLovers also unveiled a new TV commercial that day. Kim said, "The reason we are airing a TV commercial for the first time this year is to change consumer perceptions of frozen noodles." Kim added, "Until now, our base has been strong in B2B (business-to-business) transactions, but starting this year we will focus on broadening consumer touchpoints," and said, "We will expand contact with new customers through experiential marketing such as the summer noodle challenge and the launch of various products."
Kang Geun-seok, head of the NoodleLovers research institute, emphasized the quality competitiveness of frozen noodles. Kang said, "Frozen udon uses only minimal materials and supplies such as flour, starch, and salt, and because it is rapidly frozen at its most delicious state, no separate preservatives are needed," adding, "We are confident we can deliver a better texture and quality than fresh noodles."
In the following Q&A, the plan to expand the B2C business was detailed. Kim said, "This year, we will further expand the product lineup that consumers can choose from and will continue to introduce product ranges that consider health," adding, "We will grow the business centered on the NoodleLovers brand."
Regarding plans to expand distribution channels, the response was, "We are currently selling products on online channels such as Coupang and Naver Plus Store, and we recently placed some products at Lotte Mart," adding, "We are also pursuing entry into wholesale channels such as Costco and E-MART Traders."
On the outlook for the frozen noodle market, Kim said, "Consumers still have preconceptions about frozen foods, but we want to convey that frozen noodles are a choice for quality," adding, "As we are already recognized for competitiveness in the B2B market, we expect perceptions to gradually change in the B2C market as well."
Regarding overseas expansion, Kim explained, "We are operating a Japan branch and are pushing into various markets including the United States, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East," adding, "We are responding by adjusting ingredients and products to meet the regulatory standards of each country and transaction partner."
Targets for results were also presented. Kang said, "This year's sales target is 270 billion won," adding, "If we achieve this, we plan to continue the business with a goal of 300 billion won next year." On frozen infrastructure, Kang said, "We built a new 6,000-pyeong frozen warehouse last year," adding, "That shows how focused we are on the frozen business."
Meanwhile, NoodleLovers unveiled a "summer noodle exhibition zone" themed around summer noodle categories such as ◇ summer frozen noodles ◇ summer cold jjolmyeon ◇ summer buckwheat noodles ◇ summer dried noodles ◇ summer noodle healthy. On the 16th, NoodleLovers also released three new frozen noodle meal kits nationwide at Lotte Mart: ▲ Ojang-dong-style ganjaemi hoe naengmyeon ▲ cold udon ▲ cold buckwheat soba.