Forget Plain 'Strawberries'... Boost Sales with Unique Combinations

Cafe Franchisees Compete Fiercely in Strawberry Season New Menu
Hollys' 'Fresh Strawberry Juice' Sales Up 145% YoY
Introducing Unique Combinations Like Oolong Tea and Pistachio

The strawberry season has returned. Strawberries, which are not only delicious but also visually appealing, have become a hit formula in the distribution market, being transformed into various beverages and desserts beyond just the raw fruit. In particular, cafe brands are fiercely competing to dominate the strawberry beverage market, which plays a key role in boosting sales. Brands like Twosome Place and Hollys emphasize themselves as self-proclaimed 'strawberry specialty stores' and have ventured beyond juices and lattes to develop a variety of new menu items.

Strawberry Juice, Strawberry Latte... Rising to Top Monthly Sales and Becoming 'Sales Drivers'

According to the industry on the 19th, strawberry season menus launched last December are driving the sales of cafe franchises this winter. Hollys' 'Fresh Strawberry Full Juice' sales increased by 145% compared to the previous year. This is a representative strawberry season menu launched by Hollys in 2018, characterized by generously using ingredients so that the strawberry flavor can be fully experienced in just one drink. A Hollys representative explained, "By adding fresh strawberry toppings to enhance both taste and visuals, sales surged sharply this season."

Besides Fresh Strawberry Full Juice, the 'Strawberry Full Latte' launched in 2020 is also gaining popularity, ranking in the top 5 for monthly sales in December. The cumulative sales of Fresh Strawberry Full Juice and Strawberry Full Latte have exceeded 1 million cups.

Ediya Coffee also boosted sales with five types of fresh strawberry beverages selling over 400,000 cups within 20 days of launch this season. In particular, the sales share of 'Strawberry Full Latte' and 'Strawberry Banana Cream Latte' accounted for 33% of all cold milk-based beverages.

Starbucks' 'Strawberry Latte' has secured a solid customer base, with cumulative sales reaching 5.3 million cups as of November last year since its debut in 2019.

Strawberry + Milk Is Common... Unique New Menu Items with Oolong Tea, Pistachio, and More Follow

As strawberry beverages have become guaranteed hits during winter, coffee franchises have started developing new menu items by adding unique ingredients to discover popular options beyond the common juices and lattes.

Twosome Place introduced the 'Strawberry Garden Milk Tea,' which combines oolong milk tea with strawberries. This menu reflects the 'tea mixology trend,' where fruits or herbs are blended into tea according to personal preference.

Hollys launched 'Strawberry Pistachio Matitcho,' a smoothie made with 100% pistachio paste combined with strawberries and raspberry pulp. They also introduced 'Yuja Mint Aurora Tea,' featuring yuja mint tea topped with aloe and fresh strawberries.

SPC Baskin-Robbins released the ‘Strawberry Yogurt Blast,’ a new lineup of the 'Yogurt Blast' that was popular last spring. This menu includes soft yogurt with domestically grown Seolhyang strawberries. Additionally, Ediya Coffee introduced 'Fresh Strawberry Honey Black Tea,' which combines black tea with honey and strawberries.

An industry insider said, "Although the sales proportion of already proven menus like juices and lattes is large, the competition for strawberry season menus is intensifying, so brands are trying to captivate consumers with new menu items that combine unique ingredients."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.