CJ CheilJedang forays into Amazon Germany for European expansion

CJ CheilJedang, a leading South Korean food company, is signaling European expansion with the recent opening of its Bibigo brand store on Amazon Germany, the company said Tuesday.

Opened last month, the brand store is featuring 19 products on Germany’s foremost e-commerce platform.

The products include: seaweed snacks, dumplings and Korean sauces. Seaweed snacks, in particular, were launched first to meet the demand for more diverse, healthy snack options in the local market.

CJ CheilJedang's foray into the German market began in 2018 with its acquisition of the German frozen food company, Mainfrost.

The company has since broadened its distribution channels, partnering with local supermarket chains such as Edeka in 2019, Globus and Tegut in 2022, and REWE in 2023.

This expansion has borne fruit, with Bibigo's share of the German business-to-consumer dumpling market soaring from 18 percent in 2021 to 48 percent last year, representing a 167 percent increase over two years.

Beyond Germany, CJ CheilJedang has been steadily enlarging its footprint across Europe. The company has secured spots in major Dutch supermarkets, including Albert Heijn, Jumbo and Hoogvliet, and also sells Bibigo dumplings in Belgian markets such as Delhaize and Carrefour.

These efforts have translated into financial gains, with the company's first-quarter sales in Europe rising by 45 percent year-on-year since last year.

Looking ahead, CJ CheilJedang plans to penetrate additional larger distribution channels in Western Europe this year, the company outlined.

"We are rapidly increasing our local distribution channels’ entrance, considering local cultural factors and consumption trends," said Suh Hyo-kyo, head of CJ CheilJedang's Europe food business. "We aim to introduce the versatility of Korean cuisine to the European market, beyond just dumplings."