Through its Market Entry service, Incite supported Avalanche Coffee in launching a unique 3-in-1 coffee in Taiwan and Philippines grocery channels. Avalanche Coffee’s business expansion into Taiwan and the Philippines represents a significant milestone for the brand and its global growth objectives. This new market entry reflects the company’s focus on identifying high-potential regions aligned with its quality positioning.
Which markets did Avalanche Coffee launch in?
Incite supported Avalanche Coffee’s launch in Taiwan and the Philippines as part of a carefully planned business expansion strategy designed to build sustainable retail presence and brand equity in both markets.
What is unique about Avalanche?
Avalanche’s 3-in-1 coffee redefines the instant coffee category. Its distinctive style and format deliver café-quality coffee anytime, anywhere. Unlike most 3-in-1 coffees, Avalanche uses whole milk powder instead of creamer, offering a healthier and more authentic option. Premium ingredients and a carefully developed recipe ensure every cup is richer, creamier and more satisfying—an innovation that supports Avalanche’s global business expansion efforts across Asia.
Why were these markets the best fit for Avalanche Coffee?
- Market Potential
Building on the brand’s success in the U.S., Incite identified Taiwan and the Philippines as strong growth opportunities. While coffee is a globally competitive category, these markets are particularly dynamic with well-established local coffee cultures making them attractive, yet competitive, environments for business expansion.
- Unique Value Proposition
Avalanche stands out in both markets as the only premium instant coffee using whole milk powder, while most existing 3-in-1 options rely on non-dairy creamers, which are viewed as less healthy and of lesser quality. Feedback from distributors reinforced that Avalanche’s formulation delivered a noticeably superior taste and creaminess, which is a key differentiator in this competitive category.
- Consumer Preferences
In the Philippines, Western food culture has significantly shaped consumer preferences, creating curiosity and openness towards new international products. As one of the larger importers of U.S. food—particularly in agriculture and processed goods—the market is highly receptive to global brands looking to establish a presence through effective strategic expansion plan execution.
- Competitive Pricing
Avalanche positioned its products strategically to compete with local brands by offering a balance of premium quality and accessible pricing, making it an attractive option for value-conscious consumers seeking a higher standard in instant coffee.
- Regional Presence
Avalanche already has an established presence in key Asian markets including Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong, allowing expansion into Taiwan and the Philippines as a natural next step to further strengthen its footprint across the region.
What steps were taken to launch Avalanche in these markets?
Incite supported Avalanche in strategically positioning the brand within the highly competitive coffee markets of Taiwan and the Philippines. With strong local industries in both countries, selecting the right distribution partner was critical for effective market entry. To ensure a successful launch and long-term sustainability, Incite worked closely with the appointed distributor to develop a carefully structured business expansion roadmap and market entry strategy tailored to each market.
Which Avalanche SKUs are available in these markets and in which channels?
In the Philippines, the sugar-free variants were identified as the most suitable product line given the growth opportunities in this segment and the country’s rising trend toward health-conscious consumption—marking a key food product launch for the region.
Sugar-Free Range:
- Sugar-Free Hazelnut
- Sugar-Free Caramel Latte
- Sugar-Free Cappuccino
- Sugar-Free Flat White
- Sugar-Free Mochaccino
- Sugar-Free Drinking Chocolate
Robinsons Group operates three major retail banners: Robinsons Supermarket, The Marketplace and Shopwise. In total, the group has over 200 stores. However, the most relevant 90 premium outlets were selected as a first stage for Avalanche, primarily due to the target consumer profile of these more premium stores.
In Taiwan, the focus was on the Café Style range:
- Café Style Hazelnut Latte
- Café Style Caramel Latte
- Café Style Flat White
- Café Style Cappuccino
- Café Style Mochaccino
Currently, Avalanche is distributed in Carrefour Hypermarket, Mia C’ Bon, Mitsukoshi Department Store and Sogo Department Store, reflecting the brand’s positioning and target consumer profile in Taiwan.
Avalanche’s use of whole milk powder, rather than creamer, is a key differentiator that appeals to Taiwanese consumers, who are well-informed about the health concerns associated with creamers. Notably, the distributor advised that Avalanche’s café-style coffee tastes better than other brands that also use milk powders.
Source: NZ Herald: Kiwi coffee innovator to supply Aussie supermarket chain
Paul Tobin, Co-founder at Avalanche Coffee Limited, had this to say about working with Incite on the Taiwan and the Philippines launches:
“Working with Incite has been a very positive experience for our business expansion in Taiwan and the Philippines. Their market entry process is well thought out, clear and effective, making the entire process very smooth. Incite’s account management team has also been excellent in handling day-to-day operations, ensuring clear communication with distributors and resolving issues quickly. It has been a pleasure working together and we are extremely happy with the results achieved to date in both markets.”
