Matsunaga Seika plans Singapore flagship store as part of Southeast Asia expansion

While the trend among some homegrown manufacturers in Singapore is to shift production to Malaysia, Japanese snack maker Matsunaga Seika is moving towards the city-state, as it plans to open a directly operated store here by around 2028.

The company, known for its Shiruko Sand toasted biscuits with red bean paste, said the city-state will serve as its regional hub as it expands across Southeast Asia.

There’s no exact location for the flagship store yet, but company president Kunihiro Matsunaga told Nikkei Asia that they intend to open it in “the very best location”.

The company believes it can compete with local players, given the lack of direct rivals making similar Japanese-style biscuits.

A sales base will also be established in Singapore, as the company looks to build its presence here, aiming to promote the snack brand to neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam and eventually the US.

After gaining brand recognition through its Singapore flagship store, it also plans to expand into wider retail channels.

The snack maker is leaning into its overseas expansion and stronger retail operations to reach sales of 10 billion yen (S$80.2 million) by 2032, up from 3.4 billion yen last year. Of this, about two billion yen is expected to come from overseas markets as it ramps up exports, starting with Southeast Asia. /TISG

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