Domestic Bakery Industry's New Challenge with Slow Aging Trend and Health Keywords: Innovative Strategies of Paris Baguette and TLJ
Recently, the franchise bakery industry in Korea is embracing the slow aging trend, taking 'health' as a new keyword and setting forth differentiation strategies. Especially, Paris Baguette and TLJ are solidifying their brand identities in the health bread market while presenting new directions. This article will explore their specific strategies and market adaptation plans.
Prepared Health Bread Techniques, Birth of Blue Label and SLOW TLJ
Paris Baguette officially stepped into the health bread market by unveiling its health bread brand 'Blue Label' in early 2025. To differentiate from existing health breads made from coarse-textured whole wheat, they developed a unique fermentation technology called 'Whole Grain Ferment Starter.' This is a result of over 20 years of fermentation research, aiming to seek the "balance of taste and nutrition."
"We will continue to showcase various products with the motto 'balance of taste and nutrition,'" stated a representative from Paris Baguette.
This technique is designed to improve the texture of whole grain breads made from wheat, barley, and rye, and to fit a high-protein, low-sugar diet, excluding milk, egg, and butter ingredients to cater to vegan consumers.
Meanwhile, TLJ announced its BI 'SLOW TLJ,' symbolizing slow aging, as part of efforts to extend healthy bread culture into meals. Having changed its BI once in 2012, TLJ's current strategy targets the increasing demand for health breads among higher-income groups, thus drawing attention in the market.
Through its past brand ‘Daily Bread,’ TLJ blended traditional European meal breads with corn and released products using the water roux method to improve texture. Following the SLOW TLJ launch, it continues to expand its product lineup focused on healthy ingredients, introducing products like kamut grain bread and oatmeal morning rolls.
K-Bagels Powered by Chewy Texture and Healthy Ingredients
The popularity of K-bagels is noticeably rising according to the changing palate of Korean consumers. Starting in 2022, bagels evolved from the dry New York style to a chewy texture-focused Korean dessert form, reflecting the health trend.
This change leads to technical innovations not only among franchises but also small and medium brands. For instance, London Bagel Museum improved dry textures to create chewy consistencies through dough techniques, earning great market response.
Paris Baguette has been operating bagel-specialized stores since 2023, offering products using proprietary 'Sangmi Starter' fermentation technology. Sangmi Starter, a blend of indigenous lactic acid bacteria and yeast, plays a crucial role in enhancing flavor and texture of bagels.
TLJ also attracted popularity by launching bagels made with domestic rice flour. The immediate sales performance was about 2.5 times higher compared to regular bagels, indicating that consumer interest in health directly translates into purchases.
Variation of Slow Aging and Well-being Trends: New Market Direction
The 'well-being' trend from the early 2000s in Korean society is evolving into a more specific and scientific direction termed ‘slow aging.’ This approach to reducing aging speed through food increases consumer interest in healthy ingredients and cooking and fermentation methods.
In this flow, the bread industry is linking beyond being a mere snack to penetrating into meal substitution products. Particularly, the bakery industry accelerates the development of products reflecting whole grains, vegetarian, and low-sugar elements as healthy carbohydrate sources, enabling market segmentation.
Paris Baguette and TLJ directly respond to these trends through their unique fermentation techniques and ingredient optimization strategies. As consumers simultaneously demand taste and functionality, technology to meet this demand serves as a crucial competitive advantage.
At TLJ, responses toward new products using ingredients like oatmeal and kamut are positive, while Paris Baguette expands its Blue Label lineup to cakes and drinks, enhancing brand competitiveness.
Health Bread Market Driven by Consumer Needs
The ‘slow aging’ food culture, emphasizing the balance of health and taste, is expected to become a major strategy in the bakery industry moving forward. Consumers are checking more meticulously from simple ingredients to production and processing methods, which directly ties into product trustworthiness.
Besides franchise businesses, various small and medium bakeries are participating in the health bread market with more segmented strategies like using Sangmi Starter, tangzhong fermentation, and local wheat. These bakeries, with a product lineup fronted by expertise, are poised to play a key role in market diversification.
As more products backed by manufacturing technology, from whole grain fermentation to Sangmi bagels and meal breads using special ingredients, emerge, the potential for the meal replacement market centered around bread will grow alongside the spread of healthy food culture.
In Closing
The domestic bakery industry is taking the slow aging and health food culture as a new growth axis, showcasing two differentiation strategies with market presentation. Such changes illustrate the development direction of traditional bakeries and provide consumers with healthier and more diverse choices, opening up the potential for an appealing new market horizon.
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