Zhongxin Finance, March 3 (Zuo Yuqing) "Good friends, good friends." It used to be a familiar advertising word for many people.

　　However, some netizens said recently that due to the rising cost of raw materials, Orion treats them differently, raising prices for products in China and other markets, and there is a "double standard" in ingredients, using cocoa powder in overseas markets, but using cocoa butter in the domestic market. .

　　As soon as the news came out, there was a heated discussion.

Today's Orion is no longer the good friend of the past?

Twice vocal denial, from electronic memo to stamped statement letter

　　In the middle of the night on March 1, Orion’s official Weibo issued a response saying that domestic Orion only adjusted the prices of some pie products that were more affected in September last year, and the prices of other products such as puffing, biscuits, and candies remained unchanged. .

And different countries are affected by the rising cost of raw materials and labor differently, and the price adjustment cycle is also different.

　　In addition, in response to the dispute over the "double standard" of ingredients, Orion said that the main ingredients of Orion Pie are globally consistent, and the dispute was caused by the inaccurate expression of the translation software when translating the ingredient list of overseas products.

In the middle of the night on March 1, Orion responded to the issue of price increases and ingredients.

　　Although the statement was made, because the statement was only released in the form of a memorandum and was not stamped with an official seal, it was questioned by many netizens: "This is too casual."

　　On the evening of March 2, Orion deleted the original statement and issued a statement letter with an official seal for an official response.

　　The statement stated that the companies established by Orion Group in various countries operate independently. In recent years, the prices of products in other countries have also been fine-tuned, but the Chinese market has not adjusted accordingly, only in September 2021. The product prices of each brand have been fine-tuned, and it is emphasized that there is no double-standard problem in ingredients.

On the evening of the 2nd, Orion deleted the original statement and officially responded to the dispute again.

　　However, after Orion responded again, some netizens said, "The concept of Orion stealing is not a different title."

　　Zhongxin Finance noticed that in August 2021, media reported that due to the rising costs of raw materials, packaging materials and labor, Orion will adjust the prices of some of its pie products from September 1, 2021, an increase of 6%- 10%, including classic products such as "Chocolate Pie" and "Q Di" sold in the Chinese market.

Only the Chinese and Russian markets have implemented price increases this time, and the domestic prices in South Korea remain unchanged.

Orion, "good friends" are decreasing?

　　As a large-scale comprehensive food company in South Korea, Orion entered the Chinese market in the 1990s.

According to Orion Korea's official website, it opened an office in Beijing in 1993, and registered and established Orion Foods Co., Ltd. in December 1995.

　　According to Orion’s financial report, among its four major global markets, the Chinese market’s revenue accounts for about half of all revenue.

Chocolate Pie, Qty, Friends Fun, Potato Wish, and a lot of fish have become familiar snacks for many people.

According to the financial report of Orion Korea’s official website, the Chinese market revenue accounts for about half of its total revenue.

　　Although it has been deeply involved in the Chinese market for 20 years, today's Orion is a little "unaccustomed" to the rise of young domestic snack brands such as Baicaowei, Three Squirrels, and BESTORE.

　　"It's too sweet." A consumer told Zhongxin Finance that the high-sugar and high-calorie snacks that Orion's flagship feature does not meet current health needs.

　　In 2016, Orion's revenue in the Chinese market reached 7.718 billion yuan, and then its performance declined.

In 2020, affected by the "home economy" under the epidemic, Orion's revenue in China reached 7.2 billion yuan, and the profit margin also increased simultaneously, but it has not recovered to the level of 2016.

　　Li Kuihong, general manager of Orion China, once said that many of Orion's products were imported into the Chinese market through localized operations after obtaining market certification from South Korea.

For today's Orion, how to expand the product line that meets the tastes of Chinese consumers is a challenge.

Orion products on a supermarket shelf.

Photo by Gong Hongyu

　　"With the rise of the national tide, young consumers prefer domestic snack brands." Zhu Danpeng, an analyst of China's food industry, said that with the intensification of market competition, Orion's former market advantage may gradually decline, and future development will still be There is a lot of uncertainty.

　　The Tianyancha App shows that there are hundreds of judicial cases related to Orion Foods Co., Ltd., most of which are labor disputes.

In addition, in December 2021, the company was fined 115,000 yuan for the unauthorized commercial use of the Olympic logo.

(over)