Competition brewing up in China's RTD coffee market

Established brands ramping up efforts to win customers in the country with more healthy and trendy beverages as demand surges

Competition is becoming intense in the ready-to-drink coffee segment with a flurry of brands coming up with high-end and locally-adapted flavors to win more consumers in the Chinese market.

Leading the pack is Costa Coffee, a part of United States-based soft drinks giant Coca-Cola Co, which launched a ready-to-drink cold-brew coffee earlier this month.

The new range, which is available in e-commerce platforms and offline retail outlets across the country, is designed to "restore the quality and taste of cold-brew coffee brewed at brick-and-mortar stores" despite being in bottles, according to the company.