Childhood memories turned "too sweet"? WANT WANT CHINA's performance declines, and netizens in mainland China collectively urge to reduce sugar

WANT WANT CHINA's revenue and profit both declined in the first quarter of the 2026 fiscal year, and Chairman Cai Yanming issued a public letter warning of a "significant operational crisis." The news has garnered support from many netizens in mainland China, but there are also numerous comments pointing out that WANT WANT products are "too sweet," which does not align with the current trends of sugar control and low fat consumption. WANT WANT's customer service responded that there are currently no low-sugar or sugar-free products, but they will relay consumer suggestions to the relevant departments.

WANT WANT CHINA issued a profit warning, stating that the company's revenue and profit both decreased in the first quarter of the 2026 fiscal year. Subsequently, the group's chairman, Cai Yanming, released a public letter clearly stating that the company's performance and profit for the quarter did not meet expectations, urging employees to take the company's "significant operational crisis" seriously.

According to a report by mainland media "Headline News," many netizens in mainland China are supporting WANT WANT, but some have also suggested improvements, stating that WANT WANT's products are too sweet, with comments like "I really love drinking it, but it is really sweet," "I thought milk candy was fragrant when I was a child, but now I just think it is too sweet," and "it does not meet the current healthy consumption demands."

Consumer reports released by several institutions, including iResearch Consulting, show that the market size of sugar-free and low-sugar beverages in mainland China has been growing at a rate far exceeding overall sales performance in recent years; over 70% of young consumers now consider the ingredient list as their primary decision-making basis when purchasing food and beverages, with "sugar control, low fat, and 0 additives" becoming key factors in their purchasing willingness.

WANT WANT Group's official customer service also publicly responded today to the topic of "netizens collectively calling for WANT WANT to reduce sugar": there are currently no low-sugar or sugar-free products, but they will relay consumer suggestions to the relevant departments for future improvements.

Analysis indicates that WANT WANT has been slow to launch low-sugar products, primarily due to multiple factors such as the solidification of classic product structures, the balance of R&D investment and channel profits, making transformation a gradual process