"It's not that we're not launching new products, but it's hard to find products that can be long-term!" This is one of the pain points repeatedly mentioned by many distributors during recent market visits. The beverage industry never lacks topics; new products emerge endlessly and trends rise frequently. However, according to public data, the survival rate of new beverage products is only 12%. There are many products that seem to have potential, but those that can truly "expand distribution, sell quickly, and last long" are increasingly scarce. Especially as the peak beverage season approaches, product selection remains a challenge for many distributors. However, some products are showing different trends in the market. Recently, New Distribution learned that according to the latest data released by Euromonitor International, a globally authoritative market research institution, Yuanqi Forest's "Hao Zizai" brand ranked first in national sales in the 2024 Chinese-style health beverage category. Compared to many fleeting new products, why has this product, launched only in 2023, been able to take root and grow? Besides industry data, the most authoritative voices are the frontline distributors. With this question, we communicated with several regional distributors. "Hao Zizai": A Good Product in Distributors' Eyes "The market is indeed oversupplied, but there aren't many truly good products. Yuanqi Forest's 'Hao Zizai' has performed well in the market, achieving 20% growth in the first quarter of this year," a distributor from Jiangsu shared with us. From New Distribution's past exchanges with beverage distributors, distributors are relatively cautious when taking on new products in the beverage category. "The value per unit is relatively low, and the warehouse footprint is large. Once it doesn't sell, the cost loss is enormous. Hence, there's a saying in the beverage category: 'Choose wrong once, lose half a year.'" From the perspective of distributor business, what makes a good product in the beverage category? Let's elaborate using "Hao Zizai" as an example. First, is there a guarantee? In the beverage market, many new products are launched tentatively; brands invest a wave of resources and quickly retreat if results are poor. This uncertainty makes distributors hesitant to invest in new products. However, "Hao Zizai" leverages the brand endorsement of Yuanqi Forest, easily alleviating channel concerns. Yuanqi Forest has been deeply cultivating the health beverage field, from sparkling water to electrolyte water to tea series, each product aligning with consumer trends. At the same time, its attitude towards investing in new products is resolute, not only in resource allocation but also in channel support, naturally boosting channel confidence. Second, can it sell through? New products nowadays don't lack exposure; they lack memorable points. Many distributors have mentioned that "Hao Zizai" quickly established awareness at the terminal through its healthy formula, novel naming, high-recognition packaging, and precise marketing. From extensive seeding on social media to eye-catching displays at offline terminals, "Hao Zizai" has deeply ingrained its health label. A distributor surnamed Tang from Nanjing said, "During distribution, terminal owners had basically heard of it, so no lengthy explanation was needed. Especially young people would directly ask for it by name." Another distributor further reported, "In the first half of last year, orders surged, and terminals were chasing us for supply, even leading to shortages." From KA supermarkets to convenience stores, from campuses to group buying, "Hao Zizai" is not limited to a specific channel but demonstrates omnichannel sell-through capability, which is also a key reason distributors choose it. Finally, is there profit? A Beijing distributor stated bluntly, "The industry is fiercely price-competitive now. Many new products grab market share by forcing inventory and delaying rebates, but 'Hao Zizai' has clear policies, fast turnover, and overall better profit margins." It not only ensures distributors' capital safety but also reduces operational pressure. "What's even rarer is that its online price control is very strict, with no channel conflict or price chaos, giving us confidence in offline operations." Among a host of new products, "Hao Zizai" has become a preferred choice for channels due to its stable investment pace, good sell-through performance, and controllable profit margins. From "Told to Drink" to "Want to Drink": Why Are Consumers Willing to Buy? "We were 'educated' by consumers," a Shandong regional distributor said. "At the beginning of the year, we were cautious about stocking 'Hao Zizai,' generally placing small quantities in stores, worried about slow sales. But the feedback was actually very good, with some customers buying by the case, saying they wanted to stock up. Later, we realized this water has user stickiness." Whether a new product can go far depends first on channel acceptance, but what truly determines its vitality is consumer acceptance and preference. After all, whether a product can persuade consumers to buy, achieve sell-through, and sustain repurchase is key to becoming a "long-lasting hit." In recent years, health has become one of the most certain consumption trends in the beverage sector. According to Mintel's "2024 Global Health Beverage Consumption Trends Report," over 70% of consumers prioritize health factors when purchasing beverages. Demand for low-sugar, low-fat, and natural-ingredient beverages continues to rise, with more consumers paying attention to ingredient lists, composition, and the physical burden after consumption. However, health attributes do not necessarily equate to strong sales. Many products with health labels fail to move beyond "trying once" due to heavy taste or narrow consumption scenarios. Especially under the current mainstream mindset of light wellness and self-pleasure, products that neglect taste and experience seem out of place. In other words, health should not be a burden but a relaxed and comfortable lifestyle. Products that truly resonate with consumers are often those that are "easy to drink, sustainable to consume, and can appear repeatedly in daily scenarios." As brand founder Tang Binsen has repeatedly emphasized publicly, Yuanqi Forest insists on making only "products we love to drink and are willing to recommend to our families." The emergence of "Hao Zizai" once again validates this philosophy—it has reawakened market awareness of Chinese-style health beverages in a gentler way, breaking through initially with its differentiated positioning of real ingredients plus traditional brewing. The product selects medicinal and edible ingredients such as goji berries, red dates, and coix seeds, uses a brewing process to extract essence, and features a 0 sugar, 0 fat, 0 calorie healthy formula, precisely matching young consumers' dual needs for "both taste and wellness." A North China regional distributor told us, "The brilliance of 'Hao Zizai' is that it doesn't require specific scenarios like energy drinks, nor does it rely on emotional drivers like herbal tea. You can grab a bottle at a convenience store for daily hydration, drink it as a health tea at the office, or even use it as a light replenishment after a workout—its multi-scenario adaptability is key to its rapid market penetration." From "told to drink" to "want to drink," "Hao Zizai" uses a complete product logic to precisely meet consumers' needs for light wellness. Today's consumers are not just seeking health; they are seeking products that can integrate into daily life and be enjoyed with ease. "Hao Zizai" has successfully broken the limitations of traditional Chinese-style health beverages through its unique formula and multi-scenario adaptability, transforming health drinks from "functional" to "lifestyle," quickly securing a place among young consumers. Sustained Growth Is the Key to Distributors' Heavy Investment For distributors, fast sell-through is important, but "selling well" only reflects the present; whether it can sustain growth is the core determinant for heavy investment. In the past few years, the beverage industry has seen many "flash in the pan" hits—products that launch hot, see rapid sales growth, but disappear the next year. The reasons often include brands failing to maintain long-term momentum and weak consumer stickiness, resulting in a rapid rise and fall. Looking at the broader market, the Chinese-style health beverage category is transitioning from "consumer awareness" to "drinking habits." According to a report by the Prospective Industry Research Institute, the market size of Chinese-style health beverages in China grew by over 350% from 2018 to 2022, with a projected compound annual growth rate of over 88% in the next five years. By 2028, the market size is expected to exceed 10 billion yuan, becoming another health beverage track with clear growth curves and vast space, following sparkling water and sugar-free tea. Related reports state that "Hao Zizai" achieved sales of over 100 million yuan within four months of launch, and by December 2024, product sales had exceeded 1 billion yuan. Recently, Euromonitor International issued an authoritative statement certifying "Hao Zizai" as the national sales leader in the 2024 Chinese-style health beverage category, receiving positive feedback at both channel and terminal levels. Take a Beijing beverage distributor surnamed Yin as an example: "When it first launched, 'Hao Zizai' wasn't well-known here. To open the market, if customers couldn't take full cases, we supported mixed-case shipments. For store owners with concerns, we first sold on credit and settled after sales, so terminals had no worries. Meanwhile, the brand's resource investment was strong, and volume quickly picked up." "In March last year, we sold over 4,000 cases; this year, over 13,000 cases in the same period, a growth of over 200%," Yin said after reviewing sales data. Another interviewed distributor also stated that since "Hao Zizai" launched, their company has made this category a key focus. "From the data, it has stable sell-through, is not picky about channels, and has healthy inventory turnover. It's a rare 'easy-to-operate' new product." He added, "We're not just chasing bestsellers now; we're more focused on which categories can be sustained long-term and have a healthy structure. Next, we plan to increase promotions in community and campus channels and further penetrate lower-tier markets, because currently it sells mainly in cities, and township markets haven't been fully covered. Once opened, the space will be even larger." After experiencing too many "high-open, low-walk" new products, distributors have become more cautious and pragmatic, preferring to invest resources in products that truly run steadily and go far. "Hao Zizai" has a fresh category direction, clear product logic, and solid market feedback. For distributors accustomed to judging by experience and relying on numbers, this sense of certainty with a "visible growth path" is the underlying reason they are willing to invest heavily. Final Thoughts In this era of rapid rise and fall for hits, the FMCG industry seems trapped in a vicious cycle—brands struggle with traffic competition, distributors tire of chasing trends, and consumers suffer from choice anxiety. The breakthrough of "Hao Zizai" precisely confirms the most basic business logic: truly good products don't need gimmicks to overdraw the market; they win long-term trust through sustainable value. Perhaps this is the true meaning of its name "Hao Zizai"—letting distributors sell with ease, letting consumers drink with ease, and letting the market grow with ease.