TOKYO, Japan -- Korean natural food company Organica began selling its signature health bars -- Honest Bar -- in Japan for the first time starting April 1, the company said Monday.
Nearly 2,000 bars were sold during the first 10 days of sales, according to official figures from Niku No Hanamasa, a top Japanese supermarket chain that is selling Honest Bar here.
Hanamasa headquarters in the Ginza district of Tokyo. Kim Ji-hyun/The Korea Herald
“It’s a great start,” said Natsuki Tomizawa, executive director of Hanamasa’s merchandise buying division. “The bars taste good, and the price is right, so we don’t see why we shouldn’t expect the good performance to continue.”
The Honest Bar is the first of its kind in Korea produced with no artificial additives. The main ingredients consist of nuts, berries and super food such as quinoa or hemp seed, Organica officials said.
Hanamasa signed a deal with Organica earlier this year for the first shipment of Honest Bar to Japan. The retailer operates over 50 stores in Tokyo. Gaon Japan is the official seller of the bars in Japan.
“Our goal is to expand our export base in Japan this year, and to ship other natural snacks abroad as well,” said Choi Jung-hwi, CEO of Organica.
Honest Bar was first produced in 2014 by Organica, which is an affiliate of Herald Corp.
By Kim Ji-hyun, Tokyo Correspondent (jemmie@heraldcorp.com)
