[Courtesy of Nongshim]
[Courtesy of Nongshim]

Nongshim released its "Seoul Nongshim Ramyun Popularity Map" on Wednesday, based on an analysis of point-of-sale data from hypermarkets and corporate supermarkets across all 25 districts of Seoul during the first half of this year.

Shin Ramyun ranked first in combined hypermarket sales across Seoul, followed by Jjapagetti, Eolkeun Neoguri, Shin Ramyun Gold, Anseongtangmyeon, Yukgaejang Bowl Noodles, Baehongdong Bibimmyeon, Shin Ramyun Cup, Baehongdong Makguksu and Shin Ramyun Black. Two products stood out: Shin Ramyun Gold, launched in January, came in fourth, while Baehongdong Makguksu debuted at ninth.

Looking at hypermarket sales by district, Shin Ramyun topped the charts in 15 of the 22 districts that have hypermarkets — roughly 70 percent of the total.

In six districts — Yangcheon, Nowon, Seongbuk, Seongdong, Yongsan and Gwangjin — Jjapagetti outsold Shin Ramyun to claim the top spot. Yangcheon and Nowon have traditionally been home to a high proportion of family households, while the remaining four districts have a relatively larger share of younger residents.

In Jung-gu, a district popular with foreign tourists, Shin Ramyun Gold and Shin Ramyun Toomba — both products targeting global markets under the Shin Ramyun brand — took first and second place, respectively. However, Shin Ramyun Toomba did not crack the top 10 in Seoul's overall rankings.

Unlike hypermarkets, where the top brand varied by district, Shin Ramyun ranked first in all 25 districts at corporate supermarkets — a neighborhood shopping channel. Nongshim attributed the trend to consumers' tendency to reach for familiar everyday staples at nearby stores.

"We confirmed that consumers' ramyun choices differ depending on the local population, commercial environment and retail channel," a Nongshim official said.


spa@heraldcorp.com