Page 37 - FoodFocusThailand No.176 November 2020

SPECIAL FOCUS

refreshening only available for sale during earlier. They come with various flavors such as grape, mango, tamarind, honey, etc. Since
summer. the appearance different from other beverages, it has been attractive to consumers especially
For black tea drinks, new products have women. It was perceived well that basil seed in such drink contains high fiber and helps in
been recently developed. The drink producers weight loss. In addition, other pleasing Asian beverage products are young coconut juice
are now focusing on the products with no or and fermented tea - Kombucha.
less sugar. As a result, sales of black tea drinks
have returned to grow up as in 2019 by Summary and the Recommendation for Thai Exporters
increasing 15% YoY. The new product of black 1. Although the beverage market in Japan is subject to various strict factors to suppress
tea is such fruit tea sweetened from fruit growth or go contraction in long haul, the market size and purchasing power are still high
compared to other markets in Asia. Japanese drink producers take the utmost importance
without sugar added. The packaging is also
upgraded to PET bottle which is more in product innovation to adapt with customer behavior and social-environment adjustment
attractive than traditional cans. The lid can also from time to time. The continuous development is thus required to gain or protect market
be enclosable to keep the long drink during share from other competitors, as it was seen from the continual development of new products
working time. For example, Craft Boss Tea in the soft drink category, especially carbonated drink, black tea, beer, and RTD alcoholic
beverages. If Thai producers want to expand the market in Japan, the research and
Non Sugar and Craft Boss Milk Tea of Suntory
Food International are designed in PET bottle. development shall be highly focus, especially for the Japanese favorite such as Asian
Moreover, Ito En company has released TEAs' specialty products. The selling points shall be on health benefits and product novelty in
TEA, the black tea with fresh orange juice which Thailand has the great advantage in raw materials including herbs. However, there
without any artificial additives. The product is one important remark about health claim. The nutritional benefits shall be aligned with
local regulation because Japan has strict laws to control healthy food products.
gives a fresh tea flavor like brewing from a tea
bowl. It is now highly popular among young 2. Thai producers/exporters should study and understand the local tastes and needs,
women. In this year, the new product - New for example, the popularity of low sugar or sugar-free, or the packaging design to fit with
Authentic Fresh Apple Tea, black tea with fresh lifestyle such as size, color, or environmental consideration.
3. It was a study that the Japanese consumer in general has shifted the purpose of
apple juice is just released. Looking at KIRIN purchasing from "Consumption" to "Experience". Take some examples. When consumers
company, there are two new products
developed Gogo-no-kocha THE MEISTER’S buy beverage, they do not just enjoy the taste but rather appreciate the atmosphere while
which both are milk and orange tea. These drinking them. It could be by drinking at the source of production, or taking them during
products have been used the new Refreshing some activities etc. Thus, various Thai drinks such as fruit juices, beers, and wines may be
Brew technique, a special production with very wise to integrate Thai experience into the point of sale to attract Japanese consumers. The
products may be sold in Thai restaurants, or in cultural activities. For instance, Songkran
little sugar added for non-sweetened drink.
For Asahi Soft Drink Company, the new festival well-known among Japanese could be a good event to promote Thai products.
product released PLANT TIME Soy Milk Tea
is tea mixed with soy milk. The target group is
for women aged 30-40 years. The product is
packed in a slim container for easy slipped in
a women's handbag.
The analysis is anticipated that the
consumer behavior will be rising in health
concern. In Japan, the uptrend products are
likely to be bottled water, ready-to-drink tea,
and Asian specialty drink. In the group of Asian
specialty drinks, the highly famous ones are
including Black vinegar, and Lactobacillus
drink or lactic acid drink. For Black vinegar
drink or Kurozu, it has been known in the
Japanese market for over 10 years and has
been continuously grown its popularity. The
study was shown that black vinegar has
several health benefits such as lowering blood
pressure levels and relieving a body fatigue.
There are number of products currently mixing
with fruit juices such as apple or grape to make
it easy to drink. For the lactic acid drink, it has
long been prominent in Japan such as Calpis.
This drink has the long history of 100 years
made with fat free milk, fermented yeast, and
lactic acid bacteria. New products have been
developed over and over. Originally, Calpis
comes up with very strong concentration, so
it required a dilution before drink. Now, it has
been developed into a ready-to-drink Calpis
Soda, following by the mixture of soy milk and
fruit juices i.e. mango.
For new trendy products from Thailand in
the Japanese market, the fruit juice with basil
seed drinks were introduced for 7-8 year

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