While vitamin-enriched food and beverages are not new to Asia-Pacific (APAC), the popularity of the segment skyrocketed during the coronavirus outbreak, and nowhere more so than in Thailand.

Food and beverage companies raced to cash in on the trend. For instance, in mid-2020, Boonrawd rolled out Singha Lemon Soda, a non-alcoholic, zero-sugar and zero-calorie drink.

Sales of vitamin-enriched drinks scaled new heights during the year, as Thai consumers sought any product enriched with Vitamin C, including dietary supplements, to strengthen their immunity against the deadly virus. The strong demand for vitamin supplements is captured by GlobalData’s 2021 Q1 survey, wherein 37% of Thai consumers stated that they buy high end or premium vitamin supplements, prefer large portions of it, or buy it more frequently, compared to 35% of APAC consumers and 30% of global consumers*. This ties in with another finding of the same survey about the exceptional interest among Thai consumers for products with immunity-boosting ingredients such as vitamins. According to the 2021 GlobalData survey, 60% of Thai respondents said that the presence of immunity-boosting ingredients was an essential/key driver of product purchases, compared to 47% of APAC consumers and 38% of global respondents*.

Additionally, by virtue of being functional health beverages, vitamin drinks resonate with the emerging ‘healthy living’ trend accentuated by the global coronavirus outbreak. Recognizing this trend, several brands roped in celebrities with ‘healthy and fit’ personas to drive home a ‘feel good’ feeling for their products. For instance, Carabao Group launched Woody C+ Lock fashioned after the personality of Woody Milintachinda, a leading Thai DJ, TV host, and actor known for his trendy fitness regimen. Woody C+ Lock emerged as one of the most popular vitamin C drinks brands of 2020. Similarly, Tera Food and Beverage appointed Araya Hargate, a celebrity actress and fitness enthusiast with 10 million Instagram followers, as the product ambassador for its new drink QminC. Enriched with curcumin and vitamin, the functional beverage claims to provide an immunity-boost, detoxification, and antioxidant & liver-function benefits. QminC went on to become one of the biggest successes of the year, with about six million bottles sold by February 2021, and product distribution spanning 15,000 modern retail outlets and 500,000 mom and pop stores. Not to be left behind, cafés and tea chains also leapt into the fray, with for instance, a Thai tea shop chain, ‘Fight Tiger by Seoulcial Club’, rolling out its ‘Tiger Egg Suger Booster’ infused with yuzu and orange in early 2020.

Additionally, by virtue of being functional health beverages, vitamin drinks resonate with the emerging ‘healthy living’ trend accentuated by the global coronavirus outbreak. Recognizing this trend, several brands roped in celebrities with ‘healthy and fit’ personas to drive home a ‘feel good’ feeling for their products. For instance, Carabao Group launched Woody C+ Lock fashioned after the personality of Woody Milintachinda, a leading Thai DJ, TV host, and actor known for his trendy fitness regimen. Woody C+ Lock emerged as one of the most popular vitamin C drinks brands of 2020. Similarly, Tera Food and Beverage appointed Araya Hargate, a celebrity actress and fitness enthusiast with 10 million Instagram followers, as the product ambassador for its new drink QminC. Enriched with curcumin and vitamin, the functional beverage claims to provide an immunity-boost, detoxification, and antioxidant & liver-function benefits. QminC went on to become one of the biggest successes of the year, with about six million bottles sold by February 2021, and product distribution spanning 15,000 modern retail outlets and 500,000 mom and pop stores. Not to be left behind, cafés and tea chains also leapt into the fray, with for instance, a Thai tea shop chain, ‘Fight Tiger by Seoulcial Club’, rolling out its ‘Tiger Egg Suger Booster’ infused with yuzu and orange in early 2020.

With the vitamin C drinks space becoming more crowded, manufacturers looked to other essential vitamins to develop new offerings around the theme of Covid-19 and thereby sustain the growth momentum of the segment. For instance, Cocomax Thailand introduced its 100% pure coconut water fortified with vitamin A to help consumers in maintaining their eye health at a time when they have increased their screen time on smartphones, tablets, laptops, and PCs amid the Covid-19 outbreak. In April 2021, Oishi unveiled the Oishi Gold RTD tea series with added vitamin B complex, which is claimed to strengthen immunity. Similarly, Ichitan Group expanded its PH Plus 8.5 range of vitamin waters with a Vitamin D and Ginkgo variant in May 2021, leveraging scientific studies that suggest a link between Vitamin D deficiency and Covid-19 infections.

The uncanny popularity for vitamin enriched drinks is expected to linger in the post-Covid-19 scenario as some diet and fitness habits forged during the pandemic are poised to stick. Moreover, the incremental increase in sugar taxes is pushing even the most sweet-toothed Thai consumers towards better-for-you beverages. Besides vitamin waters, the vitamin fortification trend is spreading to other beverage categories. For instance, Osotspa Beverage recently introduced M-150 ZA, a low-sugar energy drink with infused with vitamin C, vitamin B complex, and zinc. Beverage manufacturers are also expected to go beyond vitamins and explore other functional ingredients. Companies are also gearing up to take their brands to other South East Asian markets in hopes of replicating their success in Thailand.

Latest reports from

GlobalData

Or to search over 50,000 other reports please visit

GlobalData Report Store

GlobalData is this website’s parent business intelligence company.