OATLY lost nearly $400m last year. Is the botanical milk coffee not tasty?

Recently, oatmeal milk "veteran" brand OATLY released financial results for the full year and the fourth quarter of 2022, with a net loss of nearly $400m.

According to the results report, Oatley realized operating income of $722.2 million in 2022, an increase of 12.3% over the same period last year, compared with a total loss of $212 million in the same period in 2021, and the loss widened to $396 million last year. Affected by the epidemic, Asian market revenue fell by $800000 in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Contrary to the decline of OATLY's Asian market income, the market scale of China's oat milk industry is showing an upward trend. Asia is the third largest source of revenue for OATLY. China accounts for 93% of the Asian market, which has a significant impact on Asian market revenue.

According to the financial report, sales in OATLY Asia increased in 2022, up 32% from the previous year, with operating revenue of US $152.8 million. OATLY said at the results conference that the Asian market, which is dominated by China, remains a key area for the company to expand this year. On the same day that the results were released, OATLY also announced that it had received a financing commitment of $425 million and would continue to expand the domestic oat milk market in the future.

OATLY's fourth-quarter results show that about 69 per cent of Asia's revenue comes from catering services, while other contributions come from e-commerce retail channels. Coffee shop-based catering channel is the main position for OATLY to enter China, and with the help of coffee and catering brands to shape public awareness of oatmeal milk.

Since 2018, OATLY has identified itself as a "new coffee companion" through an oatmeal milk latte made in partnership with Starbucks. The signature product "Coffee Master" has created a fresh combination of oatmeal milk and coffee, successfully entering the permanent menu of many cafes. With the first-mover advantage of oatmeal milk coffee, OATLY has become the exclusive supply of Starbucks, COSTA, Tim Hortons, Manner and other well-known chain brands, soaring and even going public in just a few years.

OATLY is popular mainly because it fills the market share of domestic plant milk, on the other hand, it is driven by the concept of healthy diet. So when the conceptual fever begins to fade, consumption power weakens significantly. As for the development of the domestic oat milk market, it is still in the stage of following the heat of the new concept, and the innovation combination has not splashed too much.

It is true that coffee channels play an important role in the supply of coffee, but in the past two years, many new oat milk brands, such as wheat, plant labels, and wild plants, have been set up one after another. Chinese people's acceptance of oat milk is not as good as milk, and the price is on the high side. More likely to be replaced. As a result, OATLY has to launch a richer new product front.

Taking advantage of the milk tea craze and ice cream craze, OATLY has launched new products such as "Tea Master Oat Milk" and plant-based ice cream, and plans to launch ready-to-drink oat milk tea with the fragrant Orchid Garden. In addition, OATLY also plans to launch products with new packaging specifications, hoping to tap more consumer groups.

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