Otsuka Targets Gatorade and Powerade with Global Pocari Sweat Expansion
Otsuka Holdings is aiming for 100 billion yen ($627 million) in overseas Pocari Sweat sales by 2028, betting that heat related health concerns in the US and Europe will help the Japanese electrolyte drink compete with category leaders Gatorade and Powerade.
Otsuka Holdings is deepening its push into overseas markets for Pocari Sweat, its electrolyte drink, as concerns over extreme heat in the United States and Europe grow. The Japanese pharmaceutical and nutraceutical company is targeting overseas sales of 100 billion yen (approximately $627 million) by 2028, up about 80% from 2023 levels.
Pocari Sweat launched in Japan in 1980 and began overseas expansion two years later, eventually reaching more than 20 countries and regions, primarily across Asia and the Middle East. The US market came much later than its Asian expansion. Formal sales in the United States only began in 2023, making the brand a relative newcomer in a category long dominated by PepsiCo's Gatorade and Coca-Cola's Powerade.
Last updated 25 Aug 2026, 11:28
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Mei Tanaka
Brands Correspondent
Mei reports on brands, product innovation and marketing from Tokyo.
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