CJ Foodville's bakery chain Tous les Jours has rolled out limited-edition cakes and pastries featuring Korean shine muscat grapes at five US stores, seeking to boost exports of the premium fruit through its growing American retail network.
The promotion, which started Thursday and continues to Nov. 30, is being held in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation and the Korea Grape Export Association.
The seasonal lineup features three products — Shine Muscat Paradise Cake, Shine Muscat Yogurt Croissant and Shine Muscat Vanilla Danish — available at stores in La Habra, Cerritos and Brea, California, as well as Madison Square Park and Union in New York.
The launch drew strong initial demand, with the croissants and Danish pastries selling out within five hours of opening on the first day, according to CJ Foodville.
Customers who spend a minimum amount, including the purchase of a seasonal product, will also receive complimentary cups of fresh shine muscat grapes.
The campaign aims to introduce Korean-grown grapes to American consumers and open new export channels for domestic farmers, leveraging Tous les Jours' network of approximately 210 US stores.
The initiative supports two government export strategies: Boost, which targets $16 billion in annual Korean food exports, and Grape, which aims to expand Korean grape exports to $100 million through improvements in production, logistics and overseas marketing.
Depending on sales and customer feedback, the four participating entities might consider making the products permanent menu items and establishing a longer-term supply chain for Korean grapes.
"This initiative allows us to introduce Korean grapes to overseas consumers through Tous les Jours' global bakery network while helping domestic farmers expand their export channels," a CJ Foodville official said.
"We will continue exploring partnerships with the government and related organizations to support mutual growth between businesses and farmers."
yejinlim@heraldcorp.com
