Dive Brief:
- Known for its popular chili crisps, Asian food brand Fly By Jing has expanded its retail presence with Target to 1,200 stores.
- Fly By Jing originally launched at Target in 2021 in over 400 locations, but this marks a significant expansion for the brand. The brand is now in over 5,000 retail doors across the country in such chains as Whole Foods, Wegmans, Kroger, and Costco.
- The brand in March raised $12 million in Series B funding from existing investor Prelude Growth Partners, alongside Pendulum, with the goal of growing its wholesale business.
Dive Insight:
The wholesale expansion follows leadership changes earlier this year at Fly By Jing.
At the time of its latest round of funding, the brand also said it had appointed Matt Dunaj as chief financial and operations officer, and Jason Parasco as chief commercial officer.
In addition to its retail partners, Fly By Jing has a “significant” DTC Amazon business, the company told Retail Dive. The brand saw a 294% increase in revenue year over year on Amazon from July 2022 to July 2023. Its hero product, Sichuan Chili Crisp, became one of the top-selling hot sauces on Amazon in the U.S.
Fly By Jing’s ascension in the U.S. comes at a time when Asian food has taken off domestically, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Asian sauce category has seen a 56% increase in searches on Amazon, the company said citing Euromonitor data. Asian flavors in the U.S., meanwhile, are growing at 20%, the company added citing SpinsScan data.
“Since being the first premium chili crisp brand in 2018, we have seen expansive growth in the last 4 years,” Jing Gao, founder of Fly by Jing, said in an email to Retail Dive, adding that the company sees the highest growth in Los Angeles, New York, the San Francisco Bay area and the mid-Atlantic.
Fly By Jing takes a modern approach to marketing their products online with bright, colorful graphics. For a $25 annual fee, customers can join the brand’s Tastemaker Club, which gives them 20% off purchases, free shipping, seasonal gifts and early access to drops.
“Our demographic is all types of people with good taste who are looking for a complex flavor sensation that isn’t full of preservatives or artificial flavors,” Jing Gao said. “Consumers resonate with our authentic brand storytelling and feel a sense of belonging with our brand.”
