Ramen surges post-pandemic as shoppers reach for instant noodles like Maruchan and Nissin

Instant ramen, already a ubiquitous college dorm essential and pantry staple, has seen its popularity surge in recent years. In recent news, South Korean instant noodle brand Nongshim reported 10% year-over-year growth in the US since 2010 and is looking to further expand its operations amid a growing appetite for its instant noodle products.

It’s not just Nongshim that’s resonating with consumers. Data from YouGov BrandIndex, a daily brand tracker, shows a clear increase in Purchase Consideration for major instant ramen brands such as Maruchan and Nissin between 2019 and 2024.

Maruchan has seen a steady rise in Consideration, from 16.9% of US adults saying they would consider purchasing the brand in 2019 to 18.8% in the first year of the COVID-19 outbreak. Consideration for Maruchan has not slowed post-pandemic and has climbed to 22.3% in the years since. Nissin also experienced growth, with Purchase Consideration rising from 8.8% in 2019 to 10.8% in 2024.

How well do Maruchan and Nissin fare at converting consumers into customers?

This section takes a closer look at these brands' performance in 2024, uncovering how successful they've been at converting consumers, from Awareness to Consideration to Purchase Intent.

Understanding Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup and Nissin Cup Noodles' ability to move consumers through the various stages of the purchase funnel can offer critical insights into their competitive position within the sector and serve as effective customer journey models to identify areas for improvement and growth.

Stage 1: Awareness

At the top of the purchase funnel is Awareness, a measure of if consumers have ever heard of a brand. The clear winner, by a large margin, is Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup with an Awareness rate of 68.9% among all US adults. On the other hand, less than half of all US adults say they have heard of Nissin Cup Noodles (45.1%).

Stage 2: Consideration

When it comes to the brands US consumers would consider purchasing for their next instant noodle craving, almost twice as many consumers pick Maruchan (21.9%) compared to Nissin Cup Noodles (11.3%).

However, the gap narrows when we pay closer attention to their conversion rates from Awareness to Consideration (Maruchan at 32% and Nissin at 25%). This indicates that both brands are substantially effective at converting consumers into considerers.

Stage 3: Purchase Intent

The Purchase Intent stage shows the brands consumers would be most likely to buy. Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup’s conversion rate from Consideration to Purchase Intent (18%) is 6 percentage points more than Nissin Cup Noodles (12%).