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[Korea] "Pokemon Bread," reprinted for the first time in 16 years, is a big hit! Supermarkets and convenience stores are running out of the product

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In February 2022, "Pokemon bread," which was re-released for the first time in 16 years, became so popular that it created a social phenomenon. Many grandparents lined up from dawn for their grandchildren and ran to get their hands on the bread as soon as the store opened. Pokemon Buns were first sold by SPC Sunrip, a major baking company, in 1998 and were very popular among children, but production was discontinued in 2006. (1,500 won) and chocolate cake (1,500 won). To improve the shortage of products, four more varieties were released in April of the same year. Each product comes with a random "tative sticker" (a sticker that can be peeled off) of a Pokemon character. There are a total of 159 stickers. The main reason for the Pokemon bread hit was to collect these stickers. Three months after its release, sales exceeded 19 million units. As of November 2022, there was still a shortage of the product, which sold out as soon as it arrived.

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The MZ generation, stimulated by nostalgia, played a role behind the blockbuster success.

It is said that the reason for this huge success is that the MZ generation, who grew up eating Pokémon bread as children, now have purchasing power as working adults and are collecting "tative stickers" that have stimulated their nostalgia. The boom spread from the Millennium Generation (parents' generation) to their children's generation. The popularity was also boosted when Mr. RM of the globally popular idol group "BTS" uploaded on Instagram that he had visited eight convenience stores to obtain a Pokemon bread. The number of MZers who visit convenience stores in search of Pokémon buns has thus skyrocketed, and high resale prices are also on the rise. For this reason, many stores have established a rule that they will not sell the bread unless accompanied by children. The boom, which had been overheated for a while, began to slow down a bit, but in September 2022, the "Halloween Limited Edition" went on sale and the excitement was rekindled. The "glow-in-the-dark tivity stickers" enclosed with the limited edition only have become a coveted item for children and collectors.

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Translated with AI Translator

This article is co-authored by TNC Lifestyle Researcher (http://lifestyle.tenace.co.jp/) and Intage's Global Researcher.

  • TNCアジアトレンドラボ

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    TNC ASIA Trend Lab

    TNC ASIA Trend Lab is an information organization run by TNC Inc. that researches and shares trends in Asia. It supports corporate marketing activities by finding insights from trends rooted in the lifestyles and habits of local consumers.
    http://tnc-trend.jp/

  • Intage Inc

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    Intage Inc.

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  • Jan 04, 2023
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