FamilyMart Taiwan introduces smart tea machines to boost drink sales

台灣全家便利商店推出智能膠囊茶機，協助飲品銷售成長

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — FamilyMart Taiwan has partnered with Good Young Co. to install smart tea machines in its 1,000 stores by next year, aiming to boost its drink sales and expand the market share of its “Let’s Tea” brand, CNA reported.

At a Thursday press conference, Lin Hong-cheng (林鴻成), director of FamilyMart’s Fresh Food Department, said the company began using sealing machines and improving its drink-making process last year. The launch of new sugar-free tea drinks this year has helped boost tea sales. Freshly made tea accounts for about 2% of sales, compared with coffee’s 10%, but tea sales have seen double-digit growth over the past three years.

The machine can serve a drink in 70 seconds, reducing customer wait times. It features an AI-powered system that adjusts the tea’s temperature, sweetness, and strength, and can mix it with milk. Lin noted the device is suitable for convenience stores with limited space, and some stores on outlying islands will also be equipped with it.

FamilyMart said that it will continue using tea grown in Taiwan for its beverages. The company will also purchase tea leaves from Good Young Co. and jointly develop floral tea drinks. Lin added that the company plans to enhance its drink offerings, introducing more sugar-free and caffeine-free beverages.

FamilyMart reported that revenue for the first three quarters reached NT$81.22 billion (US$2.59 billion), up 3.53% year on year, with net profit of NT$1.23 billion. As of September, the number of stores in Taiwan stood at 4,411, and the company plans to increase this to 5,000 locations within the next four years.

President Chain Store Corp. opened its first hand-shaken tea store in Taipei’s Xinyi District in June, offering about 30 types of tea. The company has also set up small sections selling these drinks at 200 of its 7-Eleven stores. Lin added that FamilyMart currently has no plans to open similar stores, focusing instead on improving the quality of its beverages.