As discussed on CNBC just this week, coffee is becoming big business in Asia. Despite origins as a tea drinking region, coffee consumption in Asia has grown substantially as new product launches tempt a fresh generation of consumers into the category.
Below, we’ve selected six of the most innovative product launches that are aiming to provide Asian consumers with their caffeine hit.
Esprecielo Espresso Matcha Latte, Indonesia
Asia’s coffee space is seeing an increase in tea-coffee hybrids that can be used to convert tea drinkers into coffee drinkers. Esprecielo’s Espresso Matcha Latte claims to be a unique blend of Japanese green tea with a premium coffee latte. This special blend product is said to bring comfort and ease with its delicate, elegant and refreshing flavours. It has strong coffee flavour mixed with the smooth texture of green tea.
Oishi Hi Coffee Fast Café Latte in a Box, Philippines
Retail brands are seeking to make products more convenient for time-pressed consumers. This means using packaging innovation to make it easier for consumers to drink retail coffee products on the go, like Oishi Hi Coffee’s Fast Café Latte in a Box.
Beauti Srin Plus De-Toxi Instant Coffee Mix, Thailand
As consumers become increasingly health-conscious, many are seeking food and drink products that provide functional health benefits and are willing to pay more for them. According to Mintel research, over a fifth of Thai adults are willing to pay more for new coffee products that have added health and beauty benefits. An example would be Beauti Srin Plus’ De-Toxi Instant Coffee Mix that claims to contain Phyllium husk from coffee to promote digestion.
Nescafé Chilled Latté, India
Niche specialty coffee has generated a large amount of interest in India. Flavoured chilled coffee has migrated from coffee chains to affordable, on-the-go and ready-to-drink (RTD) retail formats, bringing ease of convenience to consumers. Nestlé India launched its Nescafé RTD chilled coffee range which retails at INR 30 each – good value for consumers who are looking for convenient on-the-go formats of cold coffee drinks.
Gambino Cold Brew Flat White Latte, Indonesia
The desire for coffee products that evoke a café experience is influencing the growth of premium positioned RTD beverages. The process of brewing and blending coffee beans is often described in detail on premium products and technical explanations of the process – such as temperature used – elevate the descriptions. Gambino Cold Brew’s Flat White Latte is said to be triple filtered and made with freshly roasted specialty coffee that was cold brewed for 21 hours, then mixed with milk, mountain water and natural flavours. It is described as an authentic, natural, rich and smooth coffee.
Horseman Café 99 Durian White Coffee 3 in 1 Premix, Malaysia
Fruits have long been present in teas; now, fruity-flavoured coffees are on the rise. Horseman Café 99’s Halal-certified Durian White Coffee 3 in 1 Premix is described as a signature blend of original white coffee with durian powder.
Jemi joined Mintel in 2015 as a Trend and Innovation Consultant for the South East Asia region. She is responsible for creating local Insights Reports delving into product category trends and delivering Insight Presentations around SEA. Jemi has over 7 years of research experience, primarily in Innovation and Analytics. Previously, she worked with Affinnova (a Nielsen company) as a Project Manager and Consultant.
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Jemi Crookes
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