Bibigo opens store in Incheon Airport duty-free shops

CJ CheilJedang Corp.'s Korean food brand Bibigo announced on Tuesday that it recently opened its stores at Shinsegae Duty Free and Shilla Duty Free in Incheon International Airport's Terminal 1.

This is the first time a progressed food brand entered airport duty-free shops, which typically sell luxury goods and cosmetics.

"This demonstrates how much the status of K-food has risen in the global market," a CJ CheilJedang source said. "The initial response has been so enthusiastic that sales at the two duty-free shops are about twice what we initially expected."

CJ CheilJedang plans to open additional Bibigo stores at Shinsegae and Shilla Duty Free in Incheon Airport's Terminal 2 by the end of the year.

The stores sell products most popular with foreign tourists, such as seaweed and kimchi, and duty-free exclusive K-food gift sets.

These include the Bibigo Gimbap Kit, featuring gimbap seaweed, Hetbahn, and Sotbahn, and the Bibigo Kimchi Gift Set, containing various kimchi.

"We aim to make the Bibigo duty-free store a must-visit spot for foreign tourists to experience Korean culture before they depart," the company source said.  

Write to Hun-Hyoung Ha at hhh@hankyung.com