CEOSCOREDAILY

The largest ‘Seoul Cafe Show’ is held amidst the saturation of the coffee market… “‘Zero Sugar’ craze in the cafe industry”

Reporter Soobin Choi

Entered 2024-11-08 16:51:10

Seoul Cafe Show will be held at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul until the 9th.
As the ‘healthy pleasure’ trend spreads, the cafe industry also plans ‘zero sugar’ products

The 23rd Seoul Cafe Show.

“As a space where trends and innovation continue to thrive, the cafe industry is adapting and changing to meet the ever-evolving needs and values ​​of consumers.”

The ‘Seoul Cafe Show’, which started as Asia’s first coffee fair and introduced new coffee culture and presented new trends in the cafe industry, celebrated its 23rd anniversary this year. The Seoul Cafe Show, which will be held at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul until the 9th, was the largest ever with 3,891 brands from 681 companies from 36 countries participating this year.

As the number of coffee shops increases nationwide, the cafe industry is seeking differentiation strategies. According to Statistics Korea, the number of domestic coffee shops was 100,729 as of the end of 2022, exceeding 100,000 for the first time. This is an increase of 4,292 (4.5%) from 2021 (96,437).

Accordingly, the Seoul Cafe Show highlighted diversity and inclusiveness as core values ​​for sustainable growth of the global coffee industry. This year’s Seoul Cafe Show theme was also chosen as ‘Colorful Cafe Show’, which symbolizes the harmony of various colors.

In addition to the Seoul Cafe Show, the ‘World Coffee Leaders Forum’ and the ‘Seoul Coffee Festival’ were also held simultaneously. An official from the Seoul Cafe Show explained, “We are seeking ways to coexist in the various environments surrounding the coffee market, such as climate change, technological development, and cultural aspects,” and added, “We plan to share insights on how to utilize diversity as a resource.”

Attendees are tasting tea at the booth of global tea brand Tavaron, which participated in the Seoul Cafe Show on the 8th.

In addition to coffee, tea, and bakery companies, even kitchen appliances, equipment, and equipment companies participated in this year’s Seoul Cafe Show. In particular, products featuring mortgage interest attracted visitors. Mr. Kim, in his 40s, who was tasting ‘Zero Peach Iced Tea’ from ‘Sweet Cup’, a fruit concentrate brand, said, “I am very worried about alternative sugars,” and added, “After eating the cafe show today, I am looking for an alternative sugar drink that will leave my mouth feeling clean. “I came to look for you,” he said.

Recently, the ‘Healthy Pleasure‘ trend, which places importance on health, is spreading, especially among the MZ (Millennial + Z) generation. According to the ‘Korean Distribution Market Analysis Report’ published by Nielsen IQ, a global information analysis company, last month, the number of domestic carbonated beverage products in the first half of this year increased by 23% and the number of zero non-carbonated beverage products increased by 142% compared to the previous year.

SPC Samlip’s B2B (business-to-business) solution brand ‘Yaam’, which won the ‘Excellence Award’ for best product at the Seoul Cafe Show on the 8th, is also focusing on developing low-sugar menus. A Yum official explained, “We are planning products with high protein and low sugar content in line with the recent zero sugar craze,” and added, “We wanted to create a healthy bakery with the goal of enabling even people who cannot eat bread due to diabetes to enjoy desserts happily.”

As interest in healthy food and beverage culture increases, tea brands also participate in the cafe show in large numbers. An official from global tea brand Tabaron said, “We are growing regardless of whether it is B2C (business-to-consumer transaction) or B2B. “Herbal tea is considered a favorite item among Koreans,” he said. “In particular, tea, a healthy drink, is attracting attention as an alternative for those who cannot or do not prefer caffeine. “The milk tea culture to enjoy more delicious tea is also growing, and tea variations are receiving a very good response,” he said.

In addition, the bakery market in the cafe industry is expanding again. It is interpreted that the company is trying to protect profitability by diversifying its menu amid worsening profitability as the price of coffee beans, a raw material for coffee, has soared due to the recent abnormal climate. In fact, according to Angel-in-us, bakery cafe sales last year increased by 32% compared to a year ago.

An official from the bakery B2B industry who attended the cafe show that day said, “In some cases, cafe owners request the launch of product lines from brands that are hot on Instagram, such as Bagel Museum.” He added, “Instagrammable (photos worthy of posting on Instagram). ) has become one of the important standards for consumers, and the demand for fancy desserts has also increased.”

[CEO스코어데일리 / 최수빈 기자 / [email protected]]

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