Lotte’s three food affiliates near $2.1 bn in combined overseas sales

(Lotte Wellfood)

The three key food affiliates under South Korean retail giant Lotte Group – Lotte Wellfood Co., Lotte Chilsung Beverage Co., and Lotte GRS Co. – are poised to achieve 3 trillion won ($2.1 billion) in combined overseas sales this year.

According to Lotte Group on Thursday, the three food affiliates recorded a combined 2.67 trillion won in overseas revenue last year.

Lotte Wellfood generated 1.06 trillion won, Lotte Chilsung Beverage earned 1.49 trillion won, and Lotte GRS posted 120 billion won in overseas sales.

“The three food affiliates are strengthening their push into global markets, and it will not be difficult for their combined overseas sales to exceed 3 trillion won moving forward,” said a Lotte official.

Lotte Wellfood topped 1 trillion won in overseas sales for the first time last year, led by the global success of its signature snack Pepero.

The company currently operates 21 factories across seven countries, and overseas revenue accounts for roughly 30 percent of its total sales.

Lotte Wellfood has also ramped up its globalization drive by starting full-scale operations at its India plant last year, a key production base for Pepero exports.

Lotte Chilsung Beverage has also seen steady export growth.

Its overseas sales reached 897.7 billion won in the first half of this year, up 11.8 percent from 803.3 billion won in the same period last year.

Among this total, overseas subsidiaries contributed 696.3 billion won, while export volume totaled 107 billion won.

The company exports popular beverages such as Milkis, Let’s Be coffee, and Aloe juice to more than 50 countries, including Russia, Europe, and those in Southeast Asia.

In particular, Milkis exports rose 11 percent from January to August this year, compared to the same period last year, driving overall sales growth.

Meanwhile, Lotte GRS is accelerating its overseas expansion, having opened its first Lotteria fast food restaurant in Fullerton, California, the United States, in August.

Within two months of its opening, cumulative orders surpassed 40,000, and sales reached 140 percent of the initial target, signaling strong local demand and successful market entry.