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Orion's Choco Pie finds sweet spot in Russia with sales surpassing $136M in 2025

Published: 21 Apr. 2026, 22:03 Updated: 22 Apr. 2026, 17:41

A shopper selects Orion Choco Pie products at a large supermarket in Seoul on Oct. 29, 2025. [YONHAP]

Orion’s iconic Choco Pie has gained explosive popularity in the Russian market, surpassing 200 billion won ($136 million) in annual sales there for the first time last year. The milestone comes more than 30 years after the company began exporting the product to Vladivostok in 1993.

The snack's total global sales last year reached 674 billion won, according to industry sources on Tuesday. Russia accounted for 216.8 billion won of those sales to claim 32.17 percent of the total.

Sales in Russia have grown sharply from just 47.6 billion won in 2015 to 110.6 billion won in 2022, when it surpassed 100 billion won for the first time. It surpassed 200 billion won last year.

The product has posted an average annual growth rate of 22 percent over the past six years. If the current growth rate holds, global Choco Pie sales are expected to reach 750 billion won this year, with Russian sales projected at 260 billion won.

Among Korean confectionery, Choco Pies are the only product — aside from Orion’s potato snack O! Gamja, also sold as O! Tube overseas — to surpass 200 billion won in annual sales in a single overseas market. O! Gamja recorded 212.5 billion won in China in 2015 based on January-to-November sales.

Industry observers say Choco Pie is experiencing a renewed boom in overseas markets.

Last year, its overseas sales totaled 586 billion won, far exceeding Orion’s other products such as O! Gamja with 270 billion won, the potato chip snack Swing Chips with 221.5 billion won, Goraebap with 148 billion won and Mygummy jellies with 120 billion won.

Competing products such as Lotte Wellfood’s Pepero are also aiming to surpass 100 billion won in overseas sales, but Orion remains the only company with multiple mega product lines generating hundreds of billions of won abroad.

Shoppers loka at raspberry-flavored Choco Pies at a supermarket in Russia. [ORION]

Observers attribute Orion’s success in Russia to its localized product strategy, producing and selling 12 types of Choco Pies in Russia alone.

Demand currently exceeds supply, with utilization rates at its five local Choco Pie production lines surpassing 140 percent. The company is believed to have effectively tapped into Russia’s preference for berry flavors by offering a wide range of varieties.

“We are seeing explosive demand as we expand the range of Choco Pie products with diverse flavors and shapes tailored to local tastes,” an Orion spokesperson said. “Our strategy of offering products customized for different distribution channels has also driven strong sales growth.”

A watermelon-flavored Choco Pie, developed specifically for the Russian market, is sold exclusively at 23,500 branches of Pyaterochka, a supermarket chain operated by leading retailer X5. Another Russia-specific product, an orange-flavored Choco Pie, is also gaining popularity at Magnit, the country’s second-largest retailer.

“The Russian confectionery market is valued at around 55 trillion won, about 10 times the size of Korea’s, offering significant growth potential,” an Orion representative said, adding that the company “will continue to bolster growth by expanding production capacity and upgrading distribution channels.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]