Naju Pear Juice enter US Costco Stores

- Jellanam-do achieves result of its tailored marketing strategies such as brand exhibition, etc. for local consumers... Shipping ceremony held on the 22nd -
【International Cooperation Department Shin Hyun-gon +82 2 286-2410, Agricultural Export Team Leader Wi Ji-hwan +82 2 286-2450】

(Attached 2 photos of the shipping ceremony for products of JN Mall exported to US COSTCO stores)

Jeollanam-do accomplished a splendid achievement of exporting ‘IdH* Pear Juice’ product that has been independently developed by Goo F&B (CEO: Lee Ki-seon), a local food and beverage SME, to COSTCO, a gargantuan logistics chain in the US. ‘IdH’ is a combination of English alphabets that resemble the Korean word for pear ‘배’.

Jeollanam-do Province, in the afternoon of the 22nd, held the shipping ceremony of ‘IdH Pear Juice’ to US COSTCO with Kim Yeong-rok provincial governor, CEO Lee Ki-seon, and many heads of relevant institutes of the province in attendance. The shipment amounts to 17 tones, worth USD 44,000.

This achievement has started from the establishment of ‘Jeollanam-do Province Brand Hall’ in the US Amazon for the first time as a local government in July 2020. By targeting the mainstream food market frequently used by the US locals, it successfully exported ‘Organic Citron Juice’ by Eden Food in Goheung in November 2021 and ‘Crispy Squid Snack’ by Araum Co., Ltd. In Yeou in February 2022 to COSTCO, followed by IdH Pear Juice.

The secret to the success is thought to be the Korean pear juice being trending as a hangover cure in the US and the NFC (Not From Concentrate) pressure process of IdH juice that does not add water to concentrate juice but made of 100% Korean pear and citron cultivated in Goheung. NFC pressure extraction process refers to the juicing of fresh fruits with pressure. Juice is carefully sterilized to not destroy their nutrients to preserve their flavors, fragrance, vitamins, and other various nutritional ingredients.

The US is the third-largest food consumer market, after China and India. COSTCO has 572 distribution stores across the US and more than 100 million members among 320 million US citizens, many of whom are loyal.

Goo F&B Corp. has been selected to the ‘Comparative Superior Star Item Support Project,’ an export product support project by Jeollanam-do Province, and developed and designed products tailored to overseas markets. As a result, the corporation entered Jeollanam-do Province Brand Store in Amazon and JN Mall US with its IdH Pear Juice in this February. In addition, they also came to export their products to COSTCO through Creative LLC (CEO: Sean Jang), the Jeollanam-do Province’s online export platform’s local operator.

Products shipped on the day are to be sold at 20 stores (e.g., San Francisco, etc.) by the end of September, simultaneously.

CEO Lee Ki-seon said “we could accomplish such a brilliant outcome of making an inroad to the US COSTCO thanks to excellent Naju pears and proactive administrative supports of export-relevant institutes,” and added “with this great opportunity, we will raise awareness of Naju pear as a representative fruit of Korea in the international food market.”

Governor Kim Young-rok said, “Good F&B's entrance to COSTCO is thanks to the passion of the company for their R&D efforts despite the difficult international exporting market and the cooperative system of relevant institutes for active export supports,” adding that “going forward, we will provide supports to even more food and beverage enterprises that create southern Korean food products to grow and stand shoulder to shoulder with larger corporations.”

Currently, most Korean enterprises that continue to supply Korean food products are mainly large food corporations such as CJ, Nongsim, SPC, Pulmoowon, Ottugi, Daesang, etc. Good F&B is the 5th Jeollaman-do-based SME to make inroads to the US market, after Cheonsagim of Shinan, Yein T&G and Eden Food of Goheung, and Araum Co., Ltd. of Yeosu.

This achievement is the result of active support and organic cooperation for local exporters by many relevant institutes in the province such as Rural Development Administration, Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, KOTRA, Gwangju Main Customs, Korea International Trade Association, Jeonnam Techno Park, Jeonnam Creative Economy Innovation Center, Jeollanam-do SME Job Economy Promotion Agency, Nonghyum Jeonnam Regional Headquarters, Naju Pear Cultivator Nonghyup Association, etc., as well as Jeollanam-do Province and Naju City.

◇ Photo description
(Export shipping ceremony of products of JN Mall to the US COSTCO)
Kim Young-rok, the governor of Jeollanam-do Province, in the afternoon of the 22nd, is holding the shipping ceremony of ‘IdH Pear Juice’ to US COSTCO with the nation in the early-rok provincial governor, CEO Lee Ki-seon, and many heads of relevant institutes of the province in attendance.