Japanese probiotic brand Yakult has been growing steadily in the US since entering the market in late 2007, and plans to open its first US factory in Fountain Valley, California, late next year. It is now selling more than 118,000 bottles of its probiotic drink a day in the US (based on average sales Jan-June 2011) compared with 110,000 in mid-2010 and 90,000 in 2009. It is small compared with the 3.4 million bottles a day it sells in Mexico or the 1.69 million in Brazil, but the company expects this market to grow.
The new factory will initially produce 250,000 bottles of Yakult a day, but could ultimately make up to 760,000 a day. Yakult’s strategy in the US include working with dieticians and practitioners to raise awarness, as well as launching a new website at Yakultusadietitians.com for dieticians containing podcasts, a discussion forum and downloadable materials for patients and practitioners.
The Fountain Valley plant will supply stores in California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Colorado and New Mexico, which are currently supplied by Yakult’s factory in Guadalajara, Mexico, but would also provide a platform for expansion into new regions.