Japanese RTD Market Heats Up
The intensely competitive marketplace for bottled teas, especially green teas, is getting hotter as competitors pull out the stops to boost market share. As ready-to-drink coffee and carbonated drinks have shown minimal growth recently, Japanese bottled tea offerings are focusing on their time-honored ingredient - green tea. Coca-Cola, Kirin, Ito En and other RTD beverage super-producers are predicted to enjoy sales volumes up 20 percent over last year with some analysts forecasting the market will expand to 1 trillion yen. Promotional budgets for RTD green tea offerings are also reaching record levels as manufacturers note that green tea has plenty of room to reach all Japanese consumers.