Japanese snack makers expanding in Asia

Japanese snack makers are going on a marketing offensive in Asia to capitalize on the growing popularity of their products. Calbee will boost the production capacity of its plant for Jagabee in Hong Kong by 50% at a cost of 1 billion yen ($8.76 million) in March. While sales of the puffed potato sticks in Hong Kong are increasing, tourists from the territory to Japan often buy them when they return home. In Taiwan, where Calbee stopped selling products due to the termination of a joint venture in 2016, the company has begun selling Jagabee priced 30% lower than the existing line of products at the 7-Eleven chain of some 5,000 convenience stores. Calbee will also release high-end potato chips in mid-January. More