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Published on December 18, 2007

"Universal Food has been in the coffee market for eight years. It sees the potential of this segment. The industry keeps growing by about 6 per cent a year," said vice president for marketing Ouychai Rangcharkul.

"So far our canned coffee is selling in provincial markets only. So, we created a new segment in which we can claim we are the first company producing a premium canned fresh coffee."

There are three flavours: black, mocha and latte.

He said target buyers were office workers and university students who want fresh coffee in ready-to-drink packaging. Universal Food canned coffee will be sold in convenience stores, petrol stations and supermarkets.

Ouychai said his company's products were different from competitors. Its canned coffee is made from arabica beans, while others use instant coffee mix made from robusta beans.

The drink comes in a 230-millilitre can, larger than the normal 180ml unit. Universal Food charges Bt25. Many others sell for Bt12.

He said the brew would not compete with freshly brewed coffee available at cafes.

"Some people want to drink fresh coffee in a can. Fresh-coffee shops cannot offer this. We see room in the market and our product will be an alternative," Ouychai said.

He said the company's existing canned coffee was selling well in the provinces. It was experiencing double-digit annual sales growth, while the market was growing about 6 per cent. Coffee sales make up 10 per cent of the company's total sales.

Coffee sales in Thailand are worth about Bt8 billion a year.

 Nalin Viboonchart

 The Nation