Beyond origin: the producer behind the product becomes the new premium

CJ OnStyle's origin- and variety-specific food sales surge 163.2%

'Producer Jo Hang-hyeon's Seonghwan fresh king pear' [Provided by Kurly]
'Producer Jo Hang-hyeon's Seonghwan fresh king pear' [Provided by Kurly]

Consumers who once cared only about where their food came from are now asking who grew it. The farmer's name, cultivation process and personal story have become deciding factors in what people put in their carts.

E-commerce companies are racing to secure differentiators — origin stories, chefs, farmers — that tap into that shift in consumer psychology, industry sources said Tuesday. In-season figs are a prime example. Platforms are leading with Yeongam, the country's top fig-growing region, and pairing that with the name and backstory of the individual farmer who grew them.

Among CJ OnStyle's top-selling figs is "Producer Kim Mi-gyeong's Yeongam Figs." The product description reads: "Producer Kim Mi-gyeong tends each tree with care even on the hottest summer days, because this is fruit she would feed her own family. The figs' rich color and fragrant aroma are the result of that care." The farmer's photo and name are featured prominently on the product page to build trust and set the listing apart.

CJ OnStyle is broadening its lineup through its premium food hall "The Master," spanning domestic origins and producers, regional restaurants, chefs and imported premium ingredients. Offerings range from origin- and variety-forward products — Haenam Beni Haruka sweet potatoes, Uiseong yellow peaches, New Zealand gold kiwis — to imported specialty items such as French organic chicory tea and Japanese Obama-produced sea urchin soy sauce.

Consumers, meanwhile, are venturing beyond familiar brands to follow origins, varieties and producers — a trend the industry has dubbed "gourmet roaming." The numbers back it up. CJ OnStyle's order value for origin- and variety-specific foods last month rose 163.2 percent from the same period a year earlier. The share of total food orders carrying an origin or variety in the product name expanded more than fourfold, from 4.1 percent in August last year to 17.0 percent in August this year.

Kurly is also expanding a fruit lineup that puts producers front and center. "Producer Oh Seung-min's Jeju Apple Mango" and "Producer Jo Hang-hyeon's Seonghwan Fresh King Pear" are among the popular offerings. Transaction value for producer-named fruit products rose about 75 percent in the January–August period compared with the same stretch last year, and the number of related products nearly doubled year on year.

SSG.com is building consumer trust through its "Fresh Artisan" line, and its chef-collaboration products have been growing consistently. Sales of chef-partnership items in the January–August period climbed about 30 percent from a year earlier. Lotte On recently launched "Jibbagsangjeom" (a home-meal marketplace), scouting quality producers and seasonal ingredients from across the country and providing shoppers with information on who made each product and where.

"The benchmark for premium food competition is shifting from 'how much does it cost?' to 'where was it made, by whom, and how?'" an industry official said. "As more 'gourmet roamers' place value not just on price but on origin, production process and the story behind a product, competition among retailers to discover and showcase producers will only intensify."


siuu@heraldcorp.com