Oishi Group, the manufacturer of bottled green tea, coffee and functional drinks, has increased production capacity of its ready-to-drink green tea to cash in on the peak summer season, which is expected to come earlier and last longer this year.
"We expect the hot weather will arrive very quickly and be around for a long time this year," Oishi Group president Tan Passakornatee said yesterday.
He said the company would increase the production capacity of Oishi green tea from the current 30 million bottles a month to 40 million.
"We have appointed San Miguel (Thailand) and Food & Drinks to produce 5 million bottles of Oishi green tea. They will supply the products to us so we can cash in on the peak selling season," said Tan.
He said the group itself would increase the manufacturing capacity for Oishi green tea in UHT containers from 20 million to 35 million packs per month.
"We expect to generate sales of Bt1.5 billion in the peak summer season from March to May. This will represent 30 per cent of the group's expected sales of more than Bt5 billion of green-tea products this year.
"Oishi expects to increase its share of the local ready-to-drink green-tea market from 64 per cent currently to 70 per cent by the end of the year," said Tan.
He said Oishi Group expected overall sales - including Amino OK Plus functional drinks, Coffio ready-to-drink coffee and Oishi Japanese restaurants - to reach Bt8 billion this year, 20 per cent higher than the Bt7.2 billion achieved last year.
Meanwhile, Oishi Group yesterday announced it was spending Bt120 million to spice up the hot summer with its enlarged marketing campaign -"Pai Tae Tua Tour Yok Gang Kap Oishi, Part 3 " (Completely Free Tour for You and Your Friends by Oishi, Part 3).
The campaign allows each of the main contest winners to invite three friends on a shopping excursion with a gift certificate worth ¥1 million (Bt366,000) at Japan's hottest retail destinations, including Muji, Matstumoto Kiyoushi, Aeon Mall and Ishimaru Denik, plus free travel to and from Japan and within the country.
Oishi Green Tea alone enjoys a 64-per-cent market share, which is proof the drinks market has been stimulated by the campaign, said Tan.
