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Calbee, Tokyo, the fourth largest snack company and largest Asian snack company in the world has set its sights on North America as the next frontier for its growth. Americans’ obsession with snacks and desire for something new has made this region a natural fit for Calbee, said Tim Bateman, president of Calbee America, on this episode of Since Sliced Bread.
“They want to have something different. They don’t want to eat their dad’s potato chips,” he said. “They want to eat something that’s different and exotic.”
The snack manufacturer has found great success in the past five years with its Harvest Snaps brand, but aims to bring more of its Asian snack brands like Shrimp Chips and Jaga Rico to mainstream retail stores in North America. The company is banking on the globalization of consumer palates, nostalgia and the fact these snacks are new and different to Americans to drive sales and interest.
“Calbee is not just big in Japan but it’s big in a lot of Asian countries, so people who are used to seeing it where they grew up, used to live or visited, they can now find it in the grocery store, and that’s what gets people excited,” Bateman said.
Listen to this episode of Since Sliced Bread to hear more about global trends in snacking and Calbee’s plans to tap into them.
Since Sliced Bread is available to download on a range of applications, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more. It can also be accessed on Bakingbusiness.com.
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