Reporter | Liu Yujing
Edit | Zan Huifang
After sugar-free sparkling water, low-sugar tea drinking, and juice sparkling tea, Yuanqi Forest has set its sights on coconut water.
Recently, Yuanqi Forest announced a new product on its public account in a low-key manner - "Summer Wind" low-sugar coconut water. The product advertises that in addition to more than 8% coconut gravy, this low-sugar coconut juice also adds more than 40% NFC (non-concentrated reduction) coconut water, which is "the only coconut water in China that ranks NFC coconut water first in the ingredient list", with only 43 kcal per 100 ml of calories. Its packaging also emphasizes "low sugar" and "coconut water at the top of the ingredient list" in a clear font.
Interface news inquiry found that the current summer wind coconut juice is mainly sold in the mini program "Summer Wind Coconut Club" and "Yuanqijia Member Store", 6 bottles are priced at 57 yuan, and each bottle is priced at 9.5 yuan. In addition to online, the relevant person in charge of the brand told Interface News that this coconut juice has also been renewed in offline convenience stores, unmanned retail machines and stores, and supermarkets.
The summer wind emphasizes "coconut water at the top of the list", which is actually related to the difference between coconut water and coconut water.
Coconut water for plant protein drinks, such as people are familiar with coconut brand coconut water, the color is milky white, the production process is the use of cooked coconut raw squeezing to get coconut meat juice, its main ingredient is coconut meat, most of the coconut juice components on the market are mixed squeezed coconut juice, water and other ingredients; coconut water is transparent, mostly using NFC technology, directly from the inside of fresh coconut green water canned, coupled with the supply chain and logistics of transportation preservation requirements, the overall cost is higher, the price is also high.
The price of coconut juice for 245ml per can is around 5 yuan, while the price of coconut water can reach more than 10 yuan, such as Vita Coco's price of 330ml per can is about 10 yuan. The cost and price determine the difference in the market positioning of coconut water and coconut water from the source - coconut water has carried the aura of "high-end", "healthy" and "white-collar" from the beginning of China, while the mainstream coconut water brands Vita Coco and Zico in China have the endorsement of large companies, Zico was acquired by Coca-Cola earlier, and Vita Coco is the coconut water brand with the highest market share in the United States.
Summer Wind Coconut Juice, on the other hand, tries to find a more niche market position between coconut water and coconut water.
Although coconut juice is added, the product is milky white, and the product is positioned as coconut water, the "coconut water at the top of the ingredient list" deliberately highlights the amount of NFC coconut water added to the higher cost. The cost of the product is higher, and after the listing, it can also be distinguished from the mainstream coconut milk products in the 5 yuan price band on the market.
This product strategy is actually in line with the mainstream trend of the current Chinese consumer market.
In recent years, you will find that the coconut water brand that entered China with the halo did not really open the coconut water market and fell into a situation of weak growth. We have reported that the sales of coconut water in the Chinese market are concentrated in e-commerce, hypermarkets and cinemas, restaurants and other special channels, buyers are mainly young people in large and medium-sized cities, and the other wave is mainly families with children, but the price of 10 yuan per bottle dissuads many consumers. In addition, there are many alternative products of coconut water, as a supermarket employee said, coconut water "sales are mainly from manufacturers to promote, without promotion, consumers can easily buy tea." ”
In contrast, plant protein drinks have been in the limelight in recent years, and coconut milk is also among them. An important driving factor is actually related to coffee and tea, coconut milk is close to the form of "milk", suitable for mixing and matching with coffee and tea.
Luckin brought fire to the raw coconut latte, from coffee chains, tea chains to independent coffee shops, coconut milk base drinks bloomed everywhere this year, Luckin's coconut milk supplier Fino, its products for C-end sales in the Tmall plant protein category next month's sales first, the brand revealed to interface news, which also led to the sales of other coconut-based products of this brand, in June 2021, its Tmall flagship store sales increased by 394% year-on-year.
In the product description of "Summer Wind", it also emphasizes the diversification of the drinking scene of this new product, which can also be combined with coffee in addition to drinking alone, "the raw coconut latte that is on fire this year can also be made at home."
In addition, low sugar is still the new selling point of Yuanqi Forest, which is also the direction of their layout.
The relevant person in charge of the summer wind brand side told Interface News that the target customer group of the summer wind low sugar coconut juice is "people who have the pursuit of healthy life and low-sugar drinks", according to brand market research, the current coconut juice lovers on the market generally feedback that they want to drink coconut milk with a strong, natural and not too sweet coconut juice.
The price of 9.5 yuan a bottle, the selling point of low sugar and the endorsement of Yuanqi Forest, whether this product will directly fight with the veteran player Coconut Tree in the future is unknown, but it is certain that under the trend of the coffee industry and the popularity of plant protein, coconut milk products may usher in a new round of heat.