Major beverage makers in Japan are racing to renew their green tea products, such as by changing their tastes and bottle designs.
The efforts over green tea, which has the largest share of the country's soft drink market, are being made as the major makers are working to counter low-price house-brand products, developed by retailers and enjoying greater demand from people seeking to save money. Major changes are occurring in the market for green tea in plastic bottles, which an official at one manufacturer describes as "the foundation of our sales."
According to a survey by industry research firm Inryo Soken, sales of five major makers' mainstay green tea products in 2023 fell by about 1% to 7% by volume from the previous year, signaling that a market that had steadily expanded may have now peaked out.
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