GS25, Half of Carbonated Drink Sales Are 'Zero'

Zero-Calorie Carbonated Drinks Account for 52.3% of Sales
Probiotic and Other Health-Boosting Beverages Also Popular

At GS25, the sales proportion of zero-calorie carbonated drinks has surpassed half of the total carbonated beverage sales.

GS Retail, which operates the convenience store GS25, announced on the 21st that an analysis of beverage product sales from January to April this year showed that zero-calorie drinks accounted for 52.3% of total carbonated beverage sales, exceeding the majority.

A model is posing holding Yours Soft Soda Strawberry Zero at GS25.
[Photo by GS Retail]

Zero-calorie drinks refer to low-calorie beverages that allow a 0 kcal label for drinks containing less than 5 kcal per 100 ml.

The proportion of zero-calorie drinks in GS25's carbonated beverage sales increased annually from 32.0% in 2022 to 41.3% in 2023, surpassing half for the first time this year. Among the 112 carbonated beverage products GS25 operates this year, 61 are zero-calorie drinks, nearly 20 times more than the 3 products available four years ago.

GS25 attributes the increase in zero-calorie drink consumption to health-related exercise habits such as home training, which emerged around the COVID-19 pandemic and extended into eating habits. Not only zero-calorie drinks but also beverages related to health improvement are popular. GS25, in collaboration with Chong Kun Dang Health, launched 'Lacto Fit Drinking Probiotics' as an industry-exclusive product on the 1st of this month. Since its release, this product has ranked first in sales among about 20 types of functional fermented milk products sold at GS25.

Odongil, GS25's Beverage Food Team Product Planner (MD), said, "The consumption trend related to health improvement is a global trend, not just in Korea," adding, "GS25 plans to expand various functional beverages beyond zero-calorie drinks to include dairy beverages, juices, and teas to cater to consumers aiming for a healthy lifestyle."

Meanwhile, to respond to these changing consumer trends, GS25 plans to launch two private brand (PB) zero-calorie carbonated drinks?'Yours Soft Soda Strawberry Zero' and 'Yours Soft Soda Peach Zero'?which feature zero calories, no artificial coloring, and low carbonation, in partnership with Lotte Chilsung starting from the 29th of this month.