As consumption of Yangsan bread stagnates, the food industry is seeking solutions through health-focused breads and collaborative products aimed at fandoms. The strategy involves attracting consumers who are reducing their intake of flour and carbohydrates with low-sugar and high-protein options, while also drawing in new buyers through merchandise and fandom collaborations.
According to the "2026 Processed Food Status Report on Yangsan Bread" released on October 30 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), retail sales of bread last year amounted to 981.6 billion won, a 3.4% decrease from the previous year. After growing from 896.8 billion won in 2022 to 1.01 trillion won in 2023, sales stagnated at 1.01 trillion won in 2024, and then fell below 1 trillion won last year.
A consumer survey indicated that health management and price concerns were the main reasons for reduced purchases. The report, which surveyed 500 individuals aged 14 to 59 who had purchased Yangsan bread in the past six months, found that 11.4% reported buying less than the previous year. Among them, 19.3% cited reducing flour and carbohydrate intake as the primary reason, followed by 17.5% who mentioned high prices and 14.0% who said the taste was not good.
Despite this trend, health-oriented breads with differentiated ingredients are gaining traction in the market. A notable example is the change in the sliced bread market, which saw retail sales of 100 billion won last year. After a decline to 104.5 billion won in 2023, the proportion of whole grain and grain breads surged from 13.2% in 2021 to 22.5% last year, contrasting with a drop in the share of regular sliced bread from 27.4% to 19.6% during the same period.
In response, the industry is diversifying nutritional compositions and expanding health bread lineups. SPC Samlip has introduced seven types of high-protein, low-sugar breads under its health bread brand "Project H," along with four meal breads and desserts, including zero tiramisu and zero madeleines. GS25 is also expanding its "Seongsu Low-Sugar Bagel" lineup and aggressively introducing high-protein, low-sugar bagels, cookies, and whole grain breads under the Naldam brand to capture demand.
On the other hand, marketing that stimulates consumer fandom and preferences has emerged as a key focus. The purpose of consuming bread has expanded to include merchandise collection and cultural experiences, with collaborative products driving overall sales of Yangsan bread. The report noted that last year, convenience store sales of bread, excluding sliced bread, accounted for 50.2% of total sales, a 7.2 percentage point increase from 2021.
For instance, GS25's collaboration with Minumsa resulted in four types of "Minumsa Bread," which sold over 1.41 million units within a month, driven by a trend of collecting and exchanging transparent bookmarks featuring book cover designs, dominating the top four sales spots for all bread products at GS25. CU's collaboration with the girl group Lissenne on "Woni's Corn Cream Bread" sold about 100,000 units within four days, while the collaborative bread from Seven Eleven with the Lotte Giants and KIA Tigers reached cumulative sales of 3 million units, leading the market.
However, analysts suggest that for these specialized products to become a sustainable force in the Yangsan bread market beyond temporary trends, they must ultimately be supported by taste and price competitiveness. The report indicated that among 166 primary purchasers of character breads, 81.3% expressed satisfaction with their eating experience, with 50.4% citing "good taste" as the reason, significantly higher than the 19.3% who mentioned "good stickers."
Lee Eun-hee, a professor of consumer studies at Inha University, stated, "Yangsan bread has not fully met the refined tastes of consumers. While purchases may be driven by characters or merchandise, ultimately, taste and quality must be improved to meet consumer expectations."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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