HANGZHOU, China, Sept. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Meco, a juice tea brand owned by leading Chinese milk tea producer Xiangpiaopiao Food Co., Ltd., has recently become available at GS25, the largest convenience store chain in South Korea. Several hundred thousand cups of the peach grapefruit and Thai lime versions of the tea were sold in the first month following introduction of the brand throughout the convenience store chain.

Sales of Meco, a pioneer and leader in the Chinese juice tea sector, soared to 1 billion yuan (approx. US$146 million) for the twelve months following launch of the brand in China in July 2018, setting a new industry benchmark. The novel Chinese juice teas instantly gained popularity in South Korea upon roll out in the market, demonstrating the brands strong appeal and promising prospects. 

Unlike traditional fruit tea products available in the Korean market, Meco teas are made with 100% pure fruit juice with a juice content of at least 10 per cent, far exceeding the industry standard, in addition to delicately seleced premium teas including Indian black tea rather than tea powder. Besides, with no additives, preservatives, flavor enhancers or sweeteners, Meco remains committed to the core mission of establishing itself as an authentic juice tea brand that only uses pure ingredients.

To ensure the fresh and natural taste of its products, Meco has put in place a strict process for the selection of the raw ingredients while transforming drinks that are usually shipped via the cold chain in Japan and South Korea into drinks that can be stored at room temperature by using the most advanced automatic cold-aseptic filling equipment from Germany in its liquid milk tea production lines. Backed by leading Chinese milk tea manufacturer Xiangpiaopiao and based on some of the food industrys most advanced system standards, Meco is quickly being recognized as one of the more stable and reliable drink brands in terms of supply chain management, quality control in manufacturing and food safety, among other indicators.

The fashionable and personalized packaging has been another element enhancing the appeal of the brand. Mecos slim cup alongside the bright colors and unique design of the packaging has heightened recognition of the brand. The number of photos on South Korean Instagram accounts and comments on Naver Blog depicting or referring to the teas are evidence of how quickly the brand has gained popularity among South Korean consumers.

Considering the consumption cultures in both South Korea and China, Meco leveraged connections between the two markets, to expand into South Korea after having become well established in its home market. The producer first rolled out and sold the juice tea in areas wher South Koreas overseas Chinese community gathers, such as in the countrys many Chinatown, satisfying their preferences for popular "made in China" juice teas and establishing a reputation at the local level. The brand was then expanded into the local market through an in-store "Buy One, Get One Free" promotion, attracting South Korean shoppers to try the new categories.

In terms of channels, Meco first placed the juice teas in retail locations throughout Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, the province surrounding the countrys capital. In addition to GS25, the producer rolled out the tea in more than 10,000 convenience stores and supermarkets wher the countrys Chinese residents are known to gather. The juice tea was also made available on South Koreas many e-commerce platforms, including Coupang, Gmarket,  Auction, 11st and Naver Smart Store, giving consumers the opportunity to enjoy the healthy, tasty tea at home. Meco juice tea will also start to be stocked at CU, the second largest convenience store chain in the country, later this year.

The high-quality products and personalized experience demonstrate Xiangpiaopiaos understanding of the preferences of the younger demographic which the company has targeted, from product R&D and packaging to marketing strategies. This understanding of the demographic paved the way for the brands popularity in South Korea.

Over the recent years, Xiangpiaopiao has been making efforts to expand internationally, demonstrating industry leadership and corporate social responsibility while leading the way to transform milk tea into a mainstream drink worldwide. With the companys deep understanding of markets and channels, the expansion into South Korea is expected to drive the growth of the Meco juice tea brand, as all indicators point to the drink becoming a favorite among the countrys new-generation consumers.