From Woman's World · Lauren Schuster · · 1m 30s
Korean Street Food Takes Over Frozen Aisles
TikTok viral kimbap sales surge as Korean food brands expand U.S. retail presence.
In brief
TikTok viral kimbap sales surge as Korean food brands expand U.S. retail presence. Trader Joe's kimbap sold out nationally after TikTok trends boosted demand, driving Korean street food into mainstream frozen food aisles. Originally reported by Woman's World.
Korean Street Food Gains Momentum
Korean street food dishes have moved from niche cravings to grocery-store staples in the past two years.
TikTok Viral Moment
Trader Joe's kimbap sold out nationally after a TikTok review by Korean-American creator Sarah Ahn went viral in August 2023.
Sarah Ahn's Perspective
Sarah Ahn said, 'My other viral videos that I have on my TikTok and Instagram were about me being bullied for kimbap when I was 5 years old. Now it’s being sold at Trader Joe’s and sold out.'
“My other viral videos that I have on my TikTok and Instagram were about me being bullied for kimbap when I was 5 years old. Now it’s being sold at Trader Joe’s and sold out.”
Retail Expansion
Bibigo, Kroger, Target, and Korea’s export machine are scaling frozen Korean food into a full-fledged retail category.
Sales Growth
Bibigo frozen gimbap sales rose 59% from January to July this year compared with the same period last year.
Retail Locations Surge
The number of retail locations carrying bibigo gimbap surged 145% from 1,924 stores last year to 4,734 stores this year.
Production Expansion
CJ Foods completed its fully automated frozen gimbap production line in March of this year at its CJ Blossom Campus in Korea.
What It Means for Shoppers
U.S. shoppers now have a wider menu of quick, healthy frozen meals that defrost in minutes and travel well.
The bottom line
Trader Joe's kimbap sold out nationally after TikTok trends boosted demand, driving Korean street food into mainstream frozen food aisles.
