"Guilt-Free Pleasure: A New Menu Sells Every 4 Seconds With Great Taste and No Weight Gain [The Way We Shop Now]"

Unstoppable Popularity of 'Low-Sugar': Industry Competition Heats Up
'Healthy Pleasure' Consumption Takes Hold: Weighing 'Guilt' Over Taste

Editor's NoteWhat are people buying these days? From essential household items at Daiso, to beauty products at Olive Young that constantly sell out, to breads people line up for. Everyday scenes of consumption reflect the current market trends. "The Way We Shop Now" is a series that deciphers today’s consumer trends by examining what sells well in daily life. It explores which products are chosen and which strategies open wallets, making changes in the consumer landscape easy and engaging to understand.

Mega MGC Coffee. Yonhap News

"Let's go to a cafe that sells 'low-sugar' drinks instead."

Having a 'low-sugar option' has emerged as a new standard for choosing a cafe. It is no longer uncommon to see people checking nutritional labels when selecting a drink. This is because the "Healthy Pleasure" trend—enjoying life without sacrificing health—has become firmly established. In response, the food and beverage industry continues to introduce low-sugar products to ride this trend.

According to Mega MGC Coffee on April 25, the company’s new menu item, "Low-Sugar Honey Pear XO Yakult," which launched earlier this month, sold approximately 250,000 cups within just 12 days of its release. That’s roughly one cup every four seconds. Its appeal lies in being a low-calorie option at just 25.4 kcal, making it an easy and guilt-free choice for consumers.

Mega MGC Coffee's new menu item, 'Low-Sugar Honey Pear XO Yakult'. Mega MGC Coffee

Industry insiders do not attribute this success to the effect of a new menu item alone. They analyze that it is the result of overlapping trends: demand for unique experiences at lower prices, and a growing emphasis on low-sugar and low-calorie options. Notably, low-sugar products, which were once limited to "diet" purposes, have now become a part of everyday consumption, further boosting this trend.

'Choosing Less Sweet' Becomes the Default

The popularity of low-sugar beverages is less a fleeting craze and more a sign of shifting consumer standards. Recently, consumers have shown a "Healthy Pleasure" mindset, seeking health without giving up enjoyment. Instead of strict restrictions, they are finding ways to reduce burdens in daily life. In this context, "less sweet drinks" offer a practical choice—they keep the taste while lowering feelings of guilt.

Data backs this up. According to the "2024 Processed Food Consumer Attitude Survey" by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Rural Economic Institute, 52.0% of respondents said they "choose products with less sugar," surpassing half of all respondents. Additionally, 46.2% said they "choose products with lower calories," indicating a clear trend toward considering both taste and health in purchasing decisions.

Image to aid understanding of the article. Getty Images

The low-sugar food market is also growing rapidly. According to a survey by the global market research firm Horizon, the domestic low-sugar food market, which was worth around KRW 210 billion in 2021, expanded to about KRW 570 billion by 2024. With an annual growth rate of around 20%, the low-sugar food market is expected to grow even further this year.

From Cafes to Convenience Stores... The 'Reduction' Competition Begins in Earnest

Responding swiftly to market changes, the industry has rapidly expanded its lineup of low-sugar beverages and desserts, particularly among cafe franchises. The focus is on maintaining the flavors of popular menu items while reducing sugar content.

Recently, Angel-in-us introduced its low-sugar "Angel-in-Balance" lineup, which includes low-sugar caramel macchiato, low-sugar cafe mocha, low-sugar dolce latte, low-sugar chocolate, low-sugar matcha latte, and low-sugar matcha choux panna.

The Benti launched three types of "Balance Up Sparkling" beverages, which combine lower sugar content with added vitamins and taurine. The lineup—Jeju Green Tangerine Sparkling, Lychee Chamomile Sparkling, and Tropical Sparkling—emphasizes a light and refreshing drinking experience.

The Benti's 'Balance Up Sparkling' (left) and Paik's Coffee's zero-sugar beverage. The Benti·Paik's Coffee

Paik's Coffee has also responded by introducing zero-sugar fruit drinks and low-sugar snacks. These include zero-sugar flat peach iced tea and Americano with shot, zero-sugar lemon tea and ade, zero-sugar grapefruit tea and ade, as well as low-sugar sweet red bean bread and protein clusters (dark chocolate & nuts), offering a broader range of choices.

Convenience stores and the beverage industry are also putting zero-sugar and low-sugar products front and center. Even traditional categories such as iced tea and carbonated drinks now feature "zero sugar" and "low calorie" as key marketing elements. The same trend is evident in the RTD (ready-to-drink) beverage market.

Industry players see this trend as a structural change rather than a passing fad. As consumer demand increases for maintaining satisfaction while reducing sugar and calories, the future competitiveness of the food market is expected to depend on "how much and how well companies can reduce" these elements.

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