SEOUL, South Korea, Nov. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Binggrae, South Korea's leading food company, has announced that its flagship ice bar, Melona, is now available at Costco in Australia starting this month.
Binggrae is well-known for its diverse product offerings, including the best-selling Banana Flavored Milk, Yoplait—the first spoonable yogurt in Korea introduced through a technical partnership with Sodima—and the iconic Melona ice bar. Since its founding in 1967, Binggrae has become a household name in Korea.
At Costco Australia, Binggrae is offering a 24-pack bundle of Melona, which includes 8 bars each of melon, mango, and coconut flavors.
In addition to Costco, Binggrae has already entered other major Australian retail chains. Since its official market entry last year, Binggrae's products have been available at Woolworths, the leading supermarket chain in Australia, and IGA, the fourth-largest. Both retailers currently sell Melona, as well as Binggrae's Samanco—a popular Korean frozen dessert made with ice cream and sweet syrup layered in a fish-shaped wafer, inspired by the beloved Korean winter snack bungeoppang.
Next month, Melona and Samanco are also set to launch at Coles, Australia's second-largest supermarket chain, further expanding Binggrae's reach in the region.
Binggrae first began exporting Melona in 1995, targeting the Korean community in Hawaii. To expand its presence in the U.S., the company established a local subsidiary in San Francisco in 2016, bolstering its sales and marketing efforts. Today, Melona can be found in major retailers such as Costco and other supermarkets, accounting for 70% of the U.S. sales of Korean ice bars. Binggrae later established subsidiaries in China and Vietnam, with its products now sold in mainstream markets across these countries.
Binggrae began exporting Melona to Europe, including France, Germany, the U.K., and the Netherlands last year. Since May this year, Melona has been listed in Albert Heijn, a major retail chain in the Netherlands. Melona has seen high sales rates in Asian mart chains across Europe, such as Tang Frères in France, Go Asia in Germany, Amazing Oriental in the Netherlands, and Oseyo in the U.K. The sales of Melona in Europe in the first half of this year have tripled compared to last year.
Melona continues to enjoy strong sales in North America and Southeast Asia, including the Philippines and Vietnam, and is now exported to over 30 countries worldwide. Binggrae tailors the flavors of Melona to local tastes and preferences, offering varieties such as mango and coconut.
Looking ahead, Binggrae plans to expand its ice bar product lineup in Europe to accelerate its growth in the region.
A Binggrae representative stated, "We aim to establish Australia as a key hub for global market expansion and will focus on increasing our market share in the region."