Japan’s super-cheap corn snacks apologize for second-ever price increase in 45 years

Umaibo continues its absolutely tiny, proportionally huge price increases of the 2020s.

Part of the appeal of Japan’s mega-popular Umaibo corn puff snacks is how manufacturer Yaokin is constantly adding new flavors to the lineup, like Teriyaki Hamburger or Cup Noodle. But at the same time, there’s a remarkable consistency to Umaibo, not just in keeping long-time favorite flavors such as cheese or corn potage, but in price.

When Umaibo first went on sale in 1979, it cost just 10 yen. A decade later, Umaibo still cost 10 yen, and 20 years after it hit the market, yep, it was still only 10 yen. Umaibo held on to its 10-yen price point all the way until 2022 (when the exchange rate made 10 yen the equivalent of about US$0.08) before Yaokin announced the product’s first-ever price increase, to 12 yen.

Umaibo’s 12-yen era won’t match the longevity of its 43 years at 10 yen, though, as Yaokin has announced that it’s once again raising the price, posting a solemn statement to the company’s official website and the official Umaibo Twitter account.

As of October 1, we will be revising the price of our snack product Umaibo.

We revised the Umaibo price for the first time in 2022, and we deeply appreciate the kind words and reactions from our customers at that time.

In pricing Umaibo, we have always taken into consideration [the goal of] allowing even children to experience of joy of choosing what to buy using their allowance. However, even after 2022, the price of Umaibo’s ingredients in general, including key components such as corn and vegetable oil, have continued to rise, and labor, packaging, shipping, and other costs have also increased significantly. The situation has progressed beyond even what our company can allow for, and so to ensure a continued, stable supply of Umaibo, it is with deep apologies that, for shipments from the beginning of October, we will be implementing a price increase.

We ask for your understanding as we continue to work hard to provide a stable supply of Umaibo and overflowing amounts of deliciousness and fun.

Starting October 1 Umaibo will cost 15 yen, 3 more than they do right now. Though this represents the largest price increase in the 45-year history of the brand, it’s not exactly throwing any adult fans’ budgets that much out of whack, and online reactions have been overwhelmingly understanding and appreciative of Yaokin’s honesty, with comments such as:

“Well, this is better than keeping the same price while making the snacks smaller.”
“Can’t be helped.”
“More than anything, I appreciate them keeping the price so low for so long.”
“I think they’re wonderful for working so hard to keep the price in the 10-19-yen range!”
“Considering how much more other companies are raising prices for their things, Yaokin must be working really hard.”
“I’d totally still buy just as many as I do now even if they cost 20 yen.”
“If they had extra-large Umaibo that cost 30 yen, I’d buy ‘em.”
“It looks like when Umaibo or Garigari-kun raise their prices, they explain why, so no one has much room to get bent out of shape. Other companies raise their prices or reduce their sizes without saying why, or say it’s ‘because of customer feedback,’ and that’s when people get angry at them.”

Still, when a big part of Umaibo’s brand image is that it’s so inexpensive that essentially anyone with any money of their own can buy it on impulse without worrying about the cost, any price increase carries a certain amount of risk, and while Umaibo is still one of the cheapest snacks around, it’s now 50-percent more expensive than it was just three years ago. It’s worth noting that while an extra three yen is a cost that adult Umaibo buyers can soak up without any financial stress, kids have always been a key part of the Umaibo market, in part due to the fact that Umaibo is cheaper than just about any other sweet or salty snack available at convenience stores and candy shops. That low price helps turn kids into Umaibo fans from an early age, but if Umaibo ever rises in price to a point where there are other snacks available for about the same price, it’s going to suddenly have a lot more competition for kids’ pocket change.

That sort of tipping point, though, is probably still quite a ways off from just 15 yen, though, so odds are Umaibo’s current customer base will remain intact at its new price. And if you’re economically sensitive that the extra three yen still stings, might we recommend getting some extra enjoyment out of your Umaibo experience by opening the snacks in the cool way that Mr. Sato does?

Source: Yaokin, Twitter/@Umaemon_40th
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