Lotte Wellfood accelerated its global market push by operating a large-scale exhibition hall at the "Fancy Food Show 2026," North America's largest food expo. Leading with a range of product categories including its flagship brands Pepero and ZERO, along with K-snacks, ice cream, and frozen foods, the company expanded its contact with overseas buyers and set out to broaden its North American distribution network.
Lotte Wellfood said Monday that it had successfully wrapped up its participation in the "Fancy Food Show 2026," held in New York from the 28th to the 30th of last month. Hosted by the Specialty Food Association (SFA), the event is North America's largest specialty food expo, drawing about 2,400 companies from 60 countries and some 30,000 distribution and trade officials this year.
Lotte Wellfood participated in the event for a second consecutive year following last year, setting up the largest booth among Korean food companies. The exhibition hall was organized around five themes — Pepero, ZERO, K-snacks, ice cream, and food — showcasing a total of 58 products.
In the Pepero zone, the company conducted brand marketing featuring its global ambassador Stray Kids, while the ZERO zone introduced sugar-free product lines such as ZERO fruit jelly, chocolate chip cookies, and Milk Monaka ice cream. The ice cream zone displayed "Charl Oksusu" and "Seolleim," while the K-snack zone showcased items including the "Pepero Landmark Edition," "Crunky K Edition," "Myeongga Chaltteok Pie," "Ssallobyeol," and "Ssallochip," highlighting the competitiveness of K-snacks.
In the food zone, the company placed Chef Food triangle kimbap, frozen kimbap, Pasteur "Kkomirumi," and "Ghana Chocolate Drink" front and center, introducing a food portfolio that extends beyond snacks to convenience meals and dairy products.
During the event, the company held export consultations with buyers from various countries including North America, South America, and Europe, securing new business partners. Its strategy is to expand its global distribution network based on a range of product categories including snacks, ice cream, and frozen foods, and to continue the growth momentum of its overseas business.
Lotte Wellfood's overseas business has indeed shown steady growth. Last year, overseas sales combining revenue from overseas subsidiaries and exports surpassed 1.2 trillion won, and in the first quarter of this year, revenue from overseas subsidiaries reached 270.5 billion won, up 18% from a year earlier. Export sales over the same period also rose 8% to 66 billion won, while the share of overseas business in total revenue expanded to 32%.
"Based on the interest from the global distribution industry secured through the Fancy Food Show, we plan to further accelerate the expansion of our overseas distribution network centered on North America," a Lotte Wellfood official said. "We will continue to strengthen our push into the global market by leading with the competitiveness of our core brands."
