Health-conscious consumers have always had a penchant for zero-calorie products, but an unlikely contender has carved out a new niche in the beverage industry — zero-calorie colas.
Low-calorie and noncalorie soft drinks are not new in Japan. Diet Pepsi and Diet Coca-Cola — both icons of American drinking culture — were introduced here in the mid-1970s and mid-1980s but never gained a strong foothold in a market long dominated by healthier offerings like green tea and mineral water.
A wave of new products has helped turn the tide, spearheaded by the introduction of zero-calorie Pepsi Nex in March 2006. Suntory Ltd. sold 7.3 million cases of the drink from January to July this year. It is aiming to sell an ambitious 24 million cases for all of 2007.