Where did Samjin Foods open its first store in eastern China, and what does it sell?

Samjin Foods opened the store at New World Dawan Department Store on Nanjing East Road in Shanghai’s Huangpu district. It sells freshly cooked fish cake products, including croquettes, fish cake bars, spicy fish cake rice cakes, soup and beverages.

How did Samjin Foods’ Shanghai store perform during its preopening period?

Daily sales met targets from the early days of the preopening period and reached as much as 200 percent of the goal on some days. Customers included tourists, nearby residents and office workers.

How is Samjin Foods expanding its fish cake distribution beyond the Shanghai store?

Samjin Foods is distributing Sun-sal Bar products through Costco, Hema and Lawson. The products entered two Costco stores in Shanghai, are sold at about 1,300 Lawson locations in Shanghai and nearby areas, and are being discussed for distribution with Pang Dong Lai in Henan province.

Samjin Foods opens Shanghai store, targets China expansion

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Summary

Samjin Foods opened its first Shanghai store Friday at New World Dawan Department Store in Huangpu district as it targets broader expansion in China. The outlet offers freshly cooked fish cakes, including croquettes, bars and fish cake rice cakes, with preopening sales reaching up to 200 percent of daily targets. The company is also expanding Sun-sal Bar distribution through Costco, Hema and Lawson and plans additional Chinese stores before the end of 2026.

Key Facts

The Shanghai store is located near Nanjing Road and the Bund, attracting tourists as well as nearby residents and office workers.
The menu includes two varieties of spicy fish cake rice cakes, one fish cake soup dish and two beverages.
Sun-sal Bar entered two Costco stores in Shanghai at the end of September, while Lawson sells the products at about 1,300 locations in Shanghai and surrounding areas.
Samjin Foods is discussing additional distribution opportunities with Pang Dong Lai, a major retailer in Henan province.

By Lee Kyung-min

Published Oct 19, 2026 11:37 am KST

Samjin Foods’ Samjin Fish Cake store in Shanghai’s Huangpu District / Courtesy of Samjin Foods

Samjin Foods is taking its Korean fish cake brand deeper into China, opening its first store in Shanghai’s central shopping district as it looks to turn early sales momentum into a broader retail presence.

The Busan-based company said Monday that Samjin Fish Cake opened its first store in eastern China, Friday, at New World Dawan Department Store on Nanjing East Road in Shanghai’s Huangpu district.

The shop sits near Nanjing Road, one of Shanghai’s best-known shopping streets, and the Bund, a major tourist destination.

Unlike the company’s direct-run stores in Korea, the Shanghai outlet offers freshly cooked fish cakes on-site.

Its menu includes fish cake croquettes and fish cake bars, along with two varieties of spicy fish cake rice cakes, one fish cake soup dish and two beverages.

The company is highlighting cheese-filled croquettes and rosé-sauce fish cake rice cakes, which combine familiar local flavors with Korean street food offerings.

Samjin Foods said the store’s preopening period showed promising demand, with daily sales meeting targets from the early days and reaching as much as 200 percent of the goal on some days.

The company said customers have included not only tourists but also nearby residents and office workers, suggesting potential for a broader local following.

Beyond its physical store, Samjin Foods is expanding distribution of its Sun-sal Bar fish cake products through major Chinese retail chains, including Costco, Hema and Lawson.

At the end of September, bulk packages of Sun-sal Bar entered two Costco stores in Shanghai, while Lawson sells the products at about 1,300 locations in Shanghai and surrounding areas.

The company is also discussing new distribution opportunities with Pang Dong Lai, a major retailer in Henan province, as it seeks to extend its reach beyond Shanghai and eastern China.

Samjin Foods said the new store would give local consumers a fresh way to experience the brand and help strengthen its position in China.

The company plans to pursue additional store openings in China before the end of 2026, using customer preferences and operating data from Shanghai to refine its expansion strategy.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

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