Pulmuone's Tofu Bar, an innovative plant-based protein product, is experiencing rapid sales growth and gaining popularity among consumers in Japan's top three major convenience stores.
The product, introduced by Pulmuone's Japanese subsidiary Asahico at the end of 2020, has seen a remarkable 241% increase in sales over the past two years, totaling approximately 58 million units.
Tofu Bar stands out with its 10g of protein per bar, providing a satisfying sense of fullness and a firm, chewy texture. It has become a favored choice locally as a healthy snack and received recognition in 2021 with the '2021 Best Hit Product Convenience Store Division Award' from Nikkei Trend, a prominent business monthly. Sold in over 30,000 convenience stores, including Seven Eleven, Family Mart, and Lawson, it enjoys daily sales averaging around 80,000 units.
The popularity of Tofu Bar has surged since its launch, surpassing 10 million units in sales within the first year and reaching 20 million units within the subsequent six months. By the end of January 2024, its cumulative sales had reached 58 million units. To keep up with the increasing demand, Pulmuone expanded local production lines in January 2022 and March 2023. Further expansion is planned for March of the current year, which will boost production capacity from the current 2.18 million units per month to 3 million units.
Pulmuone has been proactive in tailoring Tofu Bar products to local tastes. The company offers four varieties under its own brand, including Umami Kelp, Basil Salt, Lotus Root and Soybean, and Sweet Potato. Additionally, it provides 11 Tofu Bar products as private-label offerings for convenience stores, featuring flavors like Wafudaishi seasoned with seaweed and bonito broth, and Yuzukosho flavored with green pepper and yuzu.
"Tofu Bar allows people to easily and efficiently enjoy protein anytime, anywhere, making it a choice among local consumers of all ages," said Ikeda Mio, CEO of Asahico. "We plan to further increase the sales proportion of Tofu Bar to over 30% of the total sales of Asahico through continuous development of new products tailored to local tastes and expansion of the product category."
