While some of us drink Milo once in a while, there are serious Milo fans among us. But never could we imagine that something we take to be a popular local drink could be that popular in Japan!
Apparently people in Japan just can’t get enough of Milo that they practically flew off the shelves faster than they can be restocked! What’s more, Nestle Japan actually just announced that the sales of types of Milo beverage powders will be suspended due to difficulty securing a stable and continuous supply from Singapore!
Sales are expected to resume in March 2021 at the earliest, for the 240g Milo Original, the 700g Milo Original and the five-stick Milo Original.
The cause of the Milo shortage?
Most Japanese don’t consider Milo a staple like we do here. In fact, it’s been referred to as a ‘chocolatey milk enhancer’ with health benefits – pretty much the same way we’ve seen them advertised over here.
In Japan, it seems that the surge for sales started when a Twitter user suggested that a cup of Milo every morning for a month alleviated her symptoms of anemia. As someone who always felt sluggish, she said that the drink made her feel energised and motivated to pursue her hobbies.
Whether or not she was paid to promote the drink isn’t clear, but what is clear is that Milo flew off the shelves after her Tweet. Basically, now the Japanese probably think that Milo’s iron content is enough to cure anemia.
People are usually quick to latch onto health fads, and in Japan, it happens to be Milo. It’s estimated that demand for Milo went up 700% from the previous year – so it’s no surprise that there’s a sort of black market for the powder.
Are you thinking “maybe I can start selling packets of Milo to Japan?”
