#记录我的2024#这些年, sugar-free drinks have played a very important role in the market, many companies have launched their own sugar-free drinks, but in this regard, the old giant Nestle seems to be a little wooden, after observing and hesitating for many years, Nestle is finally going to end, this time the main sugar-free fruit juice tea, late Nestle still has a chance?
First, the giant Nestle has finally entered the sugar-free track
According to a report by Jiemian News, Nestle Tea has recently launched two new flavors, "Narcissus Oolong" and "Jasmine Tea", emphasizing 0 sugar in the formula, and does not contain flavors, tea powders and preservatives. On e-commerce platforms such as Tmall and many offline channels, the new product has not yet been officially launched. Jiemian News sought a response from Nestle on the distribution of the new product, but has not received a reply as of press time.
However, NESTEA itself is not a new brand. Originating in the United States in the 1950s, NESTEA is the global brand of Nestlé tea beverages, which is sold in North America, Europe, Australia and other places. And it also exists in the childhood memories of China's post-80s and post-90s generations - in 2002, NESTEA entered the Chinese market under the name of "Nestlé Iced Tea", and its products include bottled drinks, brewed powders, etc., but then gradually faded out of the market.
It wasn't until 2020 that Nestea re-entered the Chinese market, positioning its products as bottled ready-to-drink juice teas, including peach clear oolong, lemon jelly black tea, passion fruit green tea, and more.
It is worth noting that the "trading" Nestle tea extract is actually Yinlu food. Nestlé Tea is produced by Xiamen Yinlu Food Group Co., Ltd., and Nestlé Tea products are also sold in Tmall's Yinlu flagship store. In fact, Nestlé acquired a stake in Yinlu in 2011 and 2017-2018, but in 2020 the two sides "broke up" when Nestlé sold Yinlu's peanut milk and canned eight-treasure porridge business in China to Food Wise.
2. Does Nestle, which is late, still have a chance?
With the rapid development of the global economy and the improvement of living standards, people's health concepts are also constantly upgrading. In this context, the sugar-free beverage market has gradually emerged and has become a new choice for many consumers to pursue health and deliciousness. Nestle, as a world-renowned food giant, recently announced its entry into the sugar-free track, which has undoubtedly attracted widespread attention in the industry. However, in the face of an already competitive market, does Nestlé, which is late, still have a chance to get a piece of the pie?
First of all, in recent years, with the improvement of people's living standards and the enhancement of health awareness, more and more consumers have begun to pay attention to healthy diet, especially the intake of sugar. Sugar-free drinks are gradually becoming the new favorite in the market due to their low-calorie, low-sugar or sugar-free characteristics. From functional drinks to soft drinks for everyday consumption, the concept of sugar-free has taken root in people's minds. This trend is reflected not only in consumer purchasing behavior, but also in the product line updates and marketing strategies of major brands. Therefore, sugar-free or low-sugar beverages, with their natural and healthy characteristics, have complied with this tide of consumer demand transformation, and the market scale has expanded rapidly, attracting a large number of brands to compete for layout.
Secondly, however, Nestlé's decision to join the fray after many competitors have seized the high ground in the sugar-free market does seem to be a bit behind in time. In the domestic market, emerging brands such as Yuanqi Forest have successfully broken the original market pattern and accumulated a large number of loyal consumers by relying on innovative marketing strategies and product designs that meet health requirements. At the same time, traditional beverage giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are not to be outdone, and they have become deeply involved in the battle by developing sugar-free versions of the classic and launching new sugar-free ranges. At this time, the sugar-free track is no longer a blue ocean, but a highly saturated and competitive situation.
Third, despite this, Nestlé's entry into the sugar-free circuit is not without chances. On the one hand, although the sugar-free beverage market is fiercely competitive, there is still broad room for expansion in the subdivision. For example, Nestlé can choose to focus on specific types of sugar-free beverages, such as sugar-free fruit juice tea, which not only meets consumers' health needs, but also integrates the traditional tea culture and fruit juice elements that Chinese consumers love, and has high market acceptance and potential.
On the other hand, Nestlé has strong R&D capabilities and global supply chain systems, which can show advantages in product development, quality control and marketing. Leveraging its global brand influence and technology accumulation, Nestlé can develop a more differentiated and competitive sugar-free product line, and at the same time, it is expected to occupy a place in the sugar-free beverage market by leveraging precise market positioning and efficient channel layout.
Fourth, in the long run, the market for sugar-free drinks will be more competitive and diversified. As a latecomer, although Nestlé is facing greater challenges and pressures, as long as it chooses the right strategy and puts it into practice, it still has the opportunity to occupy a place in this market. After all, the threshold for the beverage market is relatively low, and new entrants with sufficient innovation and market insight are likely to break the existing market pattern and achieve a counterattack. Nestlé's lateness does not mean a permanent loss of competitive advantage, on the contrary, it is entirely possible for Nestlé to catch up as long as it learns from the lessons of its market pioneers, draws on and goes beyond existing product formats, and develops and executes an effective market strategy.