Ready-to-Drink Coffee: From Convenience to the Pursuit of Authentic Experience
Ready-to-drink coffee has become a staple in the daily routines of consumers across major markets like the U.S. According to Mintel’s 2024 report, convenience and quick preparation are the primary reasons American consumers opt for packaged coffee.
In Vietnam, this segment is experiencing rapid growth, with an 18% year-on-year increase (InsightAsia 2024). This surge reflects the modern lifestyle of young consumers, who prioritize convenience, flexibility, and novel experiences.
However, consumer preferences are evolving. Beyond convenience, “authentic flavor” and health safety are becoming the new benchmarks. Vietnam Beverage Market 2024 reveals that while 75% of consumers drink coffee for alertness, 68% choose it for its taste, highlighting flavor as a critical factor.
Flavor is a key factor in ready-to-drink coffee purchasing decisions.
Alongside convenience, the global market is witnessing a “premiumization” trend. Mintel 2024, Demand Spaces Beverages 2023, and Innova 2025 report that 38% of consumers prefer premium or “specialty” ready-to-drink coffee. This shift indicates that consumers seek not only convenience but also superior quality, diverse flavors, and an emotional connection to their coffee experience.
In this context, convenience is the baseline, while flavor experience is the differentiator. This poses a challenge for manufacturers: how to create a product that is both convenient and retains the authentic flavor of brewed or phin-filtered coffee, a beloved standard among Vietnamese consumers.
Innovation Beyond Formulas
In the beverage industry, innovation today extends beyond flavors and packaging. Companies must adopt a holistic approach across the value chain, from understanding consumer needs to designing products tailored to specific usage moments. According to Tetra Pak, ready-to-drink coffee consumption revolves around three key moments:
– Kickstarting the Day: Quick energy boosts at home or work.
– Shared Moments: Portable and shareable options for on-the-go or social gatherings.
– Home Enjoyment: Frequent use, larger volumes, suitable for families or service environments.
To cater to these moments, Tetra Pak has developed three core packaging formats:
– Compact, convenient formats for active young consumers.
– Mini concentrated coffee packs (20 ml) for personalized brewing at home or the office.
– Larger volumes (500 ml – 1L) for “Home Enjoyment” or service settings like restaurants and cafes (horeca).
Diverse packaging formats cater to various consumption needs, from mini convenience packs to larger volumes.
To optimize costs and enhance brand value, companies must shift from mass production to designing products tailored to specific consumption moments, ensuring formulas, packaging, and messaging align with real consumer needs and contexts.
Co-Creation: A New Model for Ready-to-Drink Coffee
Beyond understanding consumer needs and applying suitable paper-based packaging solutions, product development now involves co-creation in formula labs. At Bloom., Tetra Pak’s innovation center, Vietnamese companies can collaborate with international experts to optimize formulas, texture, solubility, and flavor before mass production.
Simulations mimic real industrial conditions, ensuring flavor stability and reducing time-to-market. The result is ready-to-drink coffee that retains its original flavor, meeting Clean Label standards with minimal additives, natural ingredients, and transparent processes.
Preserving Flavor with Aseptic Technology
A major challenge for ready-to-drink coffee is maintaining flavor and shelf life without preservatives. Tetra Pak’s aseptic packaging solution ensures products retain their flavor and nutrition for up to 12 months. Additionally, carton packaging is environmentally friendly, recyclable, and reduces carbon emissions while ensuring safe transportation.
Designing for Differentiation
Packaging design is more than aesthetics; it’s how brands make a first impression and retain customers. With Tetra Pak Artistry, brands can create standout designs using metallic effects, matte finishes, and ergonomic shapes for a comfortable grip.
Tetra Pak’s 2024 study on Vietnamese consumer behavior reveals that young consumers are drawn to “Beautiful and Unique” designs. Globally, Metrobi’s survey reinforces this, with 74% of consumers likely to repurchase products based on packaging appeal. This highlights the opportunity to differentiate not only through flavor but also through the emotional experience of holding the product.
Opportunities for Vietnamese Businesses
Innovation is expanding beyond ready-to-drink coffee to segments like tea and plant-based beverages. Modern consumers seek three core values: convenience, natural ingredients, and health benefits. Tetra Pak’s latest research highlights “Mixology Indulgence”—a trend blending coffee, fruit, and plant-based milk for lighter, more accessible experiences.
At Bloom., Tetra Pak is experimenting with innovative ready-to-drink coffee formulas, such as cold brew variants with unique flavors like butter candy, lychee, sugar-free, and high-protein options. These products showcase the potential for Vietnamese businesses to align with trends and shape the regional market.
From a convenient choice, ready-to-drink coffee is entering a new competitive phase, where flavor experience, emotional connection, and personalization are decisive factors. For Vietnamese businesses, this is both a challenge and an opportunity to innovate. Investing in technology, packaging, formulas, and co-creation with Tetra Pak experts will help brands not only keep pace with trends but also shape the future of the beverage industry.
Tetra Pak Showcases End-to-End Solutions for Ready-to-Drink Coffee
From October 30 to November 1, 2025, Tetra Pak will present its packaging, processing, and End-to-End product development solutions for coffee, tea, and convenient beverages at Coffee Expo Vietnam 2025, held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City, Booth H09-12, Hall A2.
Register now to join three exciting activities:
– Explore the comprehensive E2E solution, from marketing and processing technology to diverse paper-based packaging, helping businesses stay ahead of consumer trends.
– Meet Đinh Tiến Đạt (Mr. Dee), artist and coffee brand owner, as he shares his journey of sustainable coffee innovation on Tetra Pak’s Fanpage at 10:30 AM on October 31, 2025.
– Experience the Barista Show (October 30–31) with Quyên Nam Station, featuring new-generation ready-to-drink coffee and tea in premium, convenient paper packaging.
Participate in interactive games at the booth for exciting gifts and discover sustainable growth opportunities with Carton! Register today!
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