Namyang Dairy Products reports 15% rise in mix-coffee sales for first half

Namyang Dairy Products said Wednesday that its mix-coffee sales rose about 15 percent in the first half of this year compared with the same period last year.

Two brands anchor the growth: premium latte brand Lucas Nine and functional coffee-mix brand French Cafe. The strategy reflects a broader shift in the mix-coffee market away from conventional cafe-mix products toward low-sugar, decaffeinated and high-protein offerings, as well as premium lattes.

Launched in 2016, Lucas Nine was developed to let consumers enjoy cafe-quality lattes conveniently at home. The lineup currently spans 10 products — three americano varieties and seven lattes. The company recently introduced an ube latte and revamped its green tea latte.

French Cafe has added functional attributes including low-sugar, decaffeinated and high-protein options. Since its 2010 launch, the brand has recorded cumulative sales of about 21.4 billion sticks through last year. The lineup now totals 11 products — seven standard cafe-mix varieties and four functional options.

Namyang Dairy Products is also expanding overseas on the strength of both brands, targeting the United States, China and Indonesia. In the US, the company produces and supplies instant latte products through an ODM (original design manufacturing) model. At Anuga, a food trade fair held in Germany last year, it explored entry into the European market with zero-sugar and high-protein coffee products.

"We will strengthen our competitiveness by introducing products that reflect evolving consumer tastes and drinking purposes," said Kim Jeong-hyeon, a category manager at Namyang Dairy Products.