Lotte’s creamy beverage Milkis poised to become global hit

[Photo provided by Lotte Chilsung]

Creamy milk taste fizzy soda Milkis by Lotte Chilsung Beverage is poised to become the South Korean beverage manufacturing giant’s another global hit after Taiwan has joined other foreign markets – Russia, China and the United States – in the list of countries where the drink is sold more than 10 million cans.

According to Lotte Chilsung on Monday, Milkis was sold more than 10 million cans in Taiwan in the first eight months of the year, shooting up 810 percent from the same period last year. The company exported 200,000 cans of Milkis to Taiwan for the first time in 2020 and upped its shipments to 2.30 million cans in 2021. Thanks to the great demand, it aims to ship more than 15 million cans of Milkis to the country this year, which means more than half of the island’s population of 24 million could drink the beverage by the end of this year.

Given that 10 billion won ($7.19 million) in sales is considered a big hit in the beverage market, Milkis is already a global hit because sales of 10 million Milkis cans are equivalent to 10 billion won in value, according to the company.

Lotte Chilsung have won the hearts of consumers in Taiwan in part due to its aggressive marketing campaigns, using influencers and social network platforms for communications with consumers as well as broadening sales networks through large wholesale markets and supermarkets. It has advertised Milkis as a soft drink with sweet carbonated water added to healthy milk in the country.

Milkis has been a big hit in other countries, Russia, China and the U.S., where its sales already topped 10 million cans. Lotte Chilsung sold more than 10 million cans in Russia for the first time in the 1990s, attracting local consumers with the soft and creamy taste. It now sells Milkis with different fruit flavors, such as strawberry and banana, to the original drink to appeal to consumers living in the cold country.

In China, Lotte Chilsung achieved the 10 million can mark for Milkis sales in 2015 and rose to 25 million cans last year—the largest sales since its advance into the market. The Korean beverage maker also sold more than 10 million cans in the U.S., mainly through large Asian marts.

“The global beverage market has two categories: cola and noncola. Milkis is a noncola soft drink with milky taste, which is very different from other drinks. We plan to make it into a global mega-brand along with our fruit soju brand, Sunhari,” said an official from the firm.

Lotte Chilsung shares rose 1.23 percent to 164,000 won in the early session on Tuesday.

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