Kormotech, the largest producer of fodder in Ukraine, entered the market of South Korea

Lviv cat and dog food manufacturer Kormotech became the first Ukrainian company to start exporting animal food to the Korean market, writes dev.ua.

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Since June 17, the super-premium brand of food for dogs and cats Optimeal, as well as the premium brand Club 4 Paws, produced by the Kormotech company, are presented on Korean specialized Internet sites, according to a press release.

"South Korea's petfood market is in third place after China and Japan in East Asia," said Eduard Babenko, Head of Strategic Business Area Ukraine, Moldova and Southeast Asia at Kormotech. — In monetary terms, it is three times larger than in Ukraine. The share of sales of specialized food for cats and dogs is 50% by 50%. But the uniqueness of the South Korean market is that 67% of sales of petfood products take place through Internet channels. This is the largest indicator in the world, according to Euromonitor reports. Therefore, one of the challenges in cooperation with South Korea is gaining experience in building and developing online sales in the premium and super-premium market."

According to Vladyslav Mazurkevych, manager of the development of Asian export markets at Kormotech, negotiations with the Korean distributor Careside co. Ltd started last year and the parties signed a cooperation contract already in autumn. "Actually, at the end of May this year, the first two containers of dry and wet feed Optimeal and Club 4 Paws, which is about 24 tons of products, were already unloaded at the distributor's side. Yes, on June 17, our products appeared on South Korean online sites," he said.

You Young Kook, CEO of the Korean company Careside co. Ltd, noted that Kormotech is successful in the European market, has the experience and resources necessary for global cooperation

"Kormotech pet food contains high-quality ingredients and undergoes rigorous quality control. This is a significant advantage, especially for picky pet parents of Korean animals," says the general director.

According to Vladyslav Mazurkevych, the super-premium and premium lines of food for cats and dogs produced by Kormotech are already presented on the following 12 e-commerce sites in South Korea: Naver, Coupang, TM, WM, G-market, Auction, 11th St., Lotte On, Interpark, SSG, CJ on style, GS Shop.

"At the same time, by the end of this year, we want to start cooperation with chains of pet stores and veterinary clinics — so that customers have the opportunity to look at the product, inspect it, so to speak, feel it," explained Mazurkevich.

It is noted that a typical South Korean consumer is extremely picky when choosing a product — he delves into the details of the product's components or the origin of certain ingredients.

As Eduard Babenko said, not only South Korean consumers are demanding, but also business representatives. "Distributor Careside co. Ltd is a surprisingly constructive and meticulous performer, he claims. — It is easy to work with a reasoned and clear-cut partner. This allows you to build a model of communications and relations that is systematic, understandable and detailed. If compared to other Asian markets, South Korean partners have a very high bar for the quality of construction work. In general, they set the points that will need to be reached from the point of view of organizing processes, deadlines, etc. And that motivates."

We will remind you that Kormotech ended last year with a turnover of $152 million and increased the share of sales abroad to 31%. The ratio of sales abroad and in Ukraine is currently 31% to 69% in tons, respectively.

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