How TXT Helped Turn Yogurt Into a China Trend

A Korean yogurt brand is turning into an unexpected K-pop stop in China, and TXT fans are helping explain why. A new report from Sports World described how Yoajung, the Korean yogurt ice cream chain, is drawing young visitors to its Shanghai store with a mix of Korean branding, social media-friendly desserts, and menu choices linked to TOMORROW X TOGETHER members Soobin and Yeonjun.

The story is bigger than one dessert order. Yoajung has 18 stores in China and is aiming for 100 locations by the end of 2026, according to the Korean reports. In a market where food trends can move quickly through malls, short-form video platforms, and fandom communities, the brand is using K-culture as a door opener while reshaping its menu for local habits.

That combination is why the topic broke through Google Trends in Korea. The keyword behind the source was "health," but the actual entertainment angle is more specific: a Korean dessert brand is using the emotional pull of idols, familiar Korean language cues, and fan-to-fan recommendation culture to make a store visit feel like part of a K-pop experience.

Why TXT Fans Are Showing Up for Yogurt

At Yoajung's IAPM store on Shanghai's Huaihai Road, the scene described by Korean reporters felt closer to a fandom stop than a conventional dessert counter. Teen customers arrived with bags decorated with TOMORROW X TOGETHER character key rings, K-pop played inside the store, and visitors took photos near Korean-language signage before eating.

The most memorable detail was not just that TXT fans were present. It was that some customers were ordering the same topping combinations associated with the members. One young fan said she came after seeing TXT members eat Yoajung and chose Soobin's recommended toppings. Other teenage visitors reportedly ordered what had spread online as a Yeonjun-linked combination through Douyin, China's version of TikTok.

For K-pop fans, that behavior is familiar. A food order can become a small act of participation when it is connected to an idol's taste, a behind-the-scenes clip, or a social media post. Fans often turn those details into repeatable rituals: visit the place, order the same thing, take a photo, and share it with people who understand the reference.

Yoajung appears to be benefiting from exactly that pattern. The brand is not selling official idol merchandise in the way a concert venue would, but the store environment lets fans connect a Korean consumer brand with the broader world of K-pop. The result is a dessert purchase that also works as a fandom moment.

That matters because fandom-driven discovery can be more durable than a normal advertisement. A fan who visits because of Soobin or Yeonjun may share the experience with other fans, who then treat the order as a small piece of culture rather than a random menu item. In youth-focused retail, that emotional layer can turn a product into a destination.

How Yoajung Is Localizing Its China Strategy

The China strategy is not built on K-pop alone. The reports make clear that Yoajung is adjusting its business for Chinese consumers rather than simply copying its Korean stores. In Korea, the brand is strongly associated with yogurt ice cream bowls and customizable toppings. In China, the menu gives more space to shakes, smoothies, and juice-style products.

That shift reflects local food culture. Chinese consumers often prefer drinkable formats in shopping malls, and cold desserts can face different expectations than they do in Korea. Yoajung has responded by reducing the emphasis on large ice cream cups and expanding beverage-style options that are easier to carry, share, and photograph.

The stores also lean toward takeout. Instead of focusing on long seating time, the Chinese locations are designed for customers moving through major retail spaces. That matters in cities like Shanghai, where shopping malls are not just places to buy products but social stages where food, fashion, and content creation overlap.

Yoajung is also adapting ingredients and seasonal flavors. One highlighted item uses the name and image of Jeju hallabong, a citrus fruit strongly associated with Korea, while relying on locally sourced orange-family fruit because fresh fruit imports can be complicated. Another seasonal menu uses yangmei, a summer fruit popular in China, to make the brand feel less like a foreign novelty and more like a local dessert option with Korean identity.

That balance is important. The Korean identity attracts attention, but repeat visits depend on whether the product fits everyday taste. The brand's China operators have described localization as the key to staying power: the K-pop connection may bring customers through the door, but flavor, price, convenience, and mall placement decide whether they return.

The health image of yogurt also helps. The original Google Trends keyword was "health," and the Sports World report noted that yogurt can be perceived as a relatively healthy product in China. For young consumers and families who might hesitate over a heavy cold dessert, a yogurt-based drink or bowl can feel lighter and easier to justify.

The Numbers Behind the Expansion

Yoajung's current China footprint is still relatively small, but the growth plan is aggressive. The reports counted 18 stores in operation, including six directly run stores and 12 partner-operated stores. Six more locations were said to be preparing to open in areas including Shanghai, Beijing, Anhui, and Zhejiang.

The stated target is 100 stores in China by the end of 2026. That number is notable because it frames the TXT-linked store visits as more than a cute fan story. Yoajung is trying to turn early enthusiasm in Shanghai and other major cities into a broader retail network.

The site choices also show a deliberate strategy. The brand has placed early stores in prominent malls and high-visibility commercial districts, including Shanghai IAPM, major shopping centers in Beijing, Wuhan, Chongqing, and Chengdu, and a key location in Nanjing's Deji Plaza. The logic is straightforward: a strong mall address can serve as a credibility signal to customers, landlords, and future partners.

Shanghai was chosen as the first mainland China market because it is often treated as a trend-setting city for food and beverage brands. If a dessert concept works in Shanghai, it has a stronger chance of traveling to other major urban markets. If it struggles there, expansion becomes harder to defend.

There is also an operational story behind the growth target. Reports described a system in which new staff receive theory training, field practice, and final evaluations before store work. New products reportedly go through a multi-step process to confirm that recipes and equipment can be handled consistently in stores. Monthly CCTV checks are used to review operations and correct problems.

Those details may sound less glamorous than a TXT-inspired yogurt order, but they are essential to the brand's ambitions. Fandom can create traffic, yet a chain aiming for 100 stores needs repeatable training, consistent quality, and enough local partners to scale without losing control of the product.

What This Says About K-pop's Retail Power

The Yoajung story shows how K-pop influence now travels beyond albums, concerts, and fashion campaigns. An idol's preferred topping combination can become a menu reference. A Korean greeting inside a store can become part of the atmosphere. A dessert cup can become a photo prop for fans who want to document a small connection to the artists they follow.

This is not the same as a formal endorsement deal. The available reports do not describe TXT as official brand models for Yoajung's China expansion. The power comes from fan interpretation and social sharing: customers connect the product to the members, then spread that connection through their own networks.

That kind of informal influence is valuable because it feels less scripted. Fans are not just watching an advertisement; they are recreating a detail they believe belongs to the artist's real world. For a consumer brand, that can be more persuasive than a conventional campaign, especially when the product is affordable and easy to try.

It also highlights why Korean lifestyle brands continue to benefit from the wider Korean Wave. Music creates attention, dramas and variety shows build familiarity, and consumer products can ride that familiarity into daily habits. When a Chinese teenager orders a Soobin-style yogurt bowl or a Yeonjun-linked topping mix, the purchase sits at the intersection of fandom, food, and identity.

The challenge now is whether Yoajung can keep that excitement while growing quickly. A single viral order can bring a rush of visitors, but 100 stores require a more stable relationship with consumers. The brand will need to keep local menus fresh, maintain Korean cultural cues without making them feel forced, and make sure the dessert itself remains strong enough after the first fandom-driven visit.

For TXT fans, the appeal is immediate: a simple dessert order becomes a way to feel closer to the group. For Yoajung, the bigger question is whether that emotional spark can become a long-term China business. The early signs suggest that K-pop can still turn ordinary retail into a cultural stop, especially when the product is designed for photos, sharing, and repeatable fan rituals.