Group 1: Beverage Market Overview - The beverage market has entered a contraction phase, with overall sales down 9% year-on-year in September, and offline sales down 10.4% [1] - Uni-President China reported that its beverage business saw a low single-digit decline in revenue for Q3, while food business revenue grew in the mid to low single digits [1] - The decline in beverage revenue is attributed to price wars on delivery platforms and industry competition, with specific categories like juice facing significant pressure [1] Group 2: Dairy Industry Impact - The dairy market is also facing challenges, with Yili noting that ready-to-drink tea is substituting liquid milk products, particularly impacting packaged liquid milk sales [2] Group 3: Production Trends - National Bureau of Statistics data indicates a weakening trend in beverage production in Q3 compared to the first half of the year, with soft drink production declining by 0.17%, 6.79%, and 10.12% year-on-year in July, August, and September respectively [3] Group 4: External Factors - Adverse weather conditions, including typhoons and heavy rain, may have also impacted beverage sales during Q3 [4] Group 5: Market Recovery Signals - There are signs that the delivery platform price wars are becoming more manageable, which could be a positive development for the beverage market [5][6][7]

Core Insights - The beverage market is entering a contraction phase, with overall sales down 9% year-on-year in September, and offline sales down 10.4% [1] Company Performance - Uni-President China reported that its overall revenue remained flat year-on-year in Q3, with beverage revenue declining in the low single digits. The food segment saw mid-to-low single-digit growth, driven by strong performance from products like "Qie Huang" and "Lao Tan Sauerkraut" [2] - Yili mentioned that ready-to-drink tea is substituting liquid milk products, particularly impacting packaged liquid milk sales, which are facing pressure from alternatives that are not fully captured in statistics [2] Industry Trends - Beverage production in China showed a significant weakening trend in Q3 compared to the first half of the year, with soft drink production declining by 0.17%, 6.79%, and 10.12% year-on-year in July, August, and September respectively, indicating a growing downward trend [3] - Adverse weather conditions, including typhoons and heavy rain, may have also impacted beverage sales during Q3 [4] Market Dynamics - The competition in the food delivery sector is becoming more manageable, as many executives noted that delivery subsidies have peaked [5][6] - This stabilization in the delivery market could potentially benefit the beverage sector [7] Market Performance Overview - The beverage category experienced a 9% decline in overall channel growth and a 10.4% decline in offline channel growth in September [12][13]

Group 1 - The competition in the food delivery market has significantly impacted the dairy industry, with Mengniu's revenue declining by 6.95% to 41.567 billion yuan in the first half of 2025, and liquid milk revenue dropping by 11.2% to 32.19 billion yuan [1] - In contrast, Yili's revenue increased by 3.37% to 61.933 billion yuan during the same period, although its liquid milk revenue fell by 2.1% to 36.13 billion yuan [1] - Nielsen IQ data indicates that the overall sales of dairy products across all channels decreased by 9.6% in June 2025, with offline channel sales down by 12.7% [1] Group 2 - Yili noted that ready-to-drink tea beverages are substituting liquid milk products, particularly affecting packaged liquid milk sales, although the overall demand for liquid milk remains stable [1][2] - The company believes that the pressure from competition is manageable and that the impact of ready-to-drink tea on packaged liquid milk will weaken over time due to the health attributes and gifting properties of dairy products [2] Group 3 - Yili expressed confidence in the long-term growth potential of liquid milk, citing factors such as the aging population's increasing health awareness and the ongoing upgrade potential within the dairy product sector [3] - The current product structure in the dairy industry is still immature, with basic categories accounting for over half of the market, particularly evident in lower-tier cities [3]