统一饮料，似乎迎来了自己的“中年危机”。
An aerial view of Ningbo Petrochemical Economic and Technological Development Zone in East China's Zhejiang Province on August 19, 2026 Photo: Courtesy of Hu Xuejun
As night falls along China's East China Sea coast, rows of sprawling industrial facilities glow brightly under the dark sky. At Sinopec Ningbo Zhenhai Refining and Chemical Co., Ltd. (NZRCC) in East China's Zhejiang Province, a network of oil pipelines, towering distillation towers and neatly arranged oil storage tanks forms a futuristic "steel forest" outlined by lights and shadows.
On Chinese social media, this striking tableau has been embraced by younger generations as the essence of "cyberpunk-style hardcore romance." Amateur photographers and influencers have compiled detailed guides to the best viewing spots, complete with walking routes, camera angles, and even the optimal time to capture the scene, the so-called "blue hour," the period just before sunset.
Dozens of kilometers away, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port presents another stunning industrial scene. At this super port, which has ranked first globally in cargo throughput for 17 consecutive years, massive cargo ships anchor on the blue sea, stacked colorful shipping containers stretch along the shore, and giant quay cranes line up neatly. The dynamic interplay of mechanical operation lights and natural mountain and sea scenery creates a harmonious industrial beauty.
For years, heavy chemical plants and port infrastructure were associated in the public mind with noise, pollution, and a kind of forbidding remoteness - places to be avoided. Today, however, these industrial sites have transcended their purely functional roles, emerging as vivid windows through which ordinary people can observe China's new quality productive forces, and as a new narrative of coexistence between industry, ecology, and tourism.
An aerial view of the industrial facilities of Sinopec Ningbo Zhenhai Refining and Chemical Co., Ltd. on August 19, 2026 Photo: Courtesy of Hu Xuejun
From avoidance to admiration"In the past, when people thought of heavy chemicals, their first associations were pollution and safety risks - they instinctively wanted to stay away. Now, young people willingly come close, take photos, and share images of refinery towers at night. That makes us deeply proud," Zhang Da, deputy general manager of NZRCC, told the Global Times.
Zhang emphasized that the facility's newfound "cyberpunk appeal" is not a gimmick created by lighting. Tens of thousands of tourists have now visited the outer perimeter of the plant. "Visitors can intuitively experience fresh air, a tidy environment and steadily operating production equipment. These unalterable real feelings are the core reason why industrial scenery has become a new urban landmark," he said. Modern industry, once distant to the public, has become visible, tangible and approachable.
A similar shift in public perception is taking place at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. Netizens have spontaneously explored popular hiking trails on the mountains near the port. From elevated viewpoints, visitors can watch intelligent unmanned cranes operating with precise accuracy, alongside giant wind turbines spinning in the wind. Heavy industrial facilities blend seamlessly with lush mountains and clear waters, creating a perfect balance of motion and tranquility.
Chen Jia, a local resident, often comes to the coastline to overlook the port in his spare time and brings friends, including foreign visitors, to experience the scenery. "The efficient unmanned terminals, magnificent giant ships and harbor, and refreshing mountain-sea views have broken the cold stereotype of traditional industry. This is a unique romance made in China," he said.
Foreign visitors take a group photo at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. Photo: Courtesy of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port
From photo shooting to industrial understandingWhat gives these industrial landscapes their staying power is not the rush of a thousand camera clicks, but their genuine industrial strength and the invitation they extend to the public: to look beyond the spectacle and start asking how it all works.
"Industrial sites can become scenic spots through long-term safety and environmental governance, as well as sophisticated modern industrial management," Zhang noted. "Young people's interest in industrial landscapes is a great starting point. More importantly, we attempt to turn this temporary online attention into long-term public recognition, letting real industrial sites serve as a window for the public to learn about modern industrial systems."
NZRCC first made this understanding tangible in an unexpected place: a 15,000-square-meter woodland at the heart of the complex, where egrets have made their home. When pipeline plans originally called for cutting through the area, the company rerouted them to protect the birds' habitat. During breeding seasons, all nearby construction is suspended.
Today, the "Egret Garden" is equipped with a 24-hour livestream that has attracted over 200 million views online.
Beyond ecological progress, the company strives to translate obscure industrial jargon into everyday language for the public.
Through open houses and social media outreach, the public has come to learn that this forest of steel towers has developed key materials for artificial lung technology, produced separator films for new-energy vehicle batteries, and turned waste cooking oil into sustainable aviation fuel that now powers commercial flights.
What began as a casual appreciation of a nighttime spectacle has gradually deepened into a genuine understanding that this once-distant industry underpins much of daily life, from transportation and housing to health care and the transition to cleaner energy, making China's new quality productive forces more tangible and understandable, Zhang said.
Ningbo-Zhoushan Port has likewise carved out a path toward meaningful public engagement. It has hosted a wide range of public exchanges and educational programs while carefully designing popular science exhibition halls and outdoor viewing sites to engage visitors.
"Since its founding, a port has always been about openness and connection," Zhuge Xurong, director of the Cultural News Center at Ningbo Zhoushan Port Company Limited, told the Global Times. That openness, he said, extends beyond shipping routes to the exchange of ideas and knowledge between the port and the public.
Such open industrial scenes have become common across Ningbo's industrial parks, with bilingual science popularization activities bringing modern factories closer to the public. Online content creators frequently visit these industrial bases, unveiling the mysteries of Chinese manufacturing to wider audiences.
The trend stretches nationwide: intelligent heavy trucks in Lingang new area of the Shanghai free trade zone, drone manufacturing bases in Shenzhen, rail-transport industrial parks in Chengdu. Meanwhile, older industrial sites are being transformed into cultural and creative parks, preserving their historical textures while injecting modern vitality.
From awe to intimacy, from distance to engagement - this distinctly Chinese brand of industrial romance is reaching more people, being better understood, and continuing to evolve.
。近日，统一发布2026年上半年中期财报，整体营收达到173.21亿元，同比小幅上涨1.4%，归母净利润14.02亿元，同比上涨9%。但占据营收超6成的饮料业务营收为107.51亿元，同比下滑0.3%，是统一饮料业务近5年来首次在中报中下滑。具体拆分来看，支柱品类茶饮料版块营收48.89亿元，同比下滑3.5%；果汁版块营收17.21亿元，同比下滑5.5%。唯一的亮点是奶茶版块，营收36.45亿元，同比上涨7.3%。
二 |
行业正在转身统一饮料下滑，与行业环境的整体变化有关。
三 | 据国家统计局数据，2026年上半年国内规模以上饮料总产量同比下滑0.5%，是近五年饮料行业首次上半年产量同比下跌，整个饮料市场已经迈入存量博弈阶段。另有第三方机构马上赢数据显示，2026年Q2，饮料类目的销售额同比下滑11.78%，其降幅在所有快消类目中最为突出。从销售额增速来看，无糖即饮茶几乎算是一枝独秀——保持着16.1%的上涨幅度。
图源：马上赢反观其他品类，全部转负。有糖即饮茶下滑11.17%，即饮果汁下滑14.84%，能量饮料和运动饮料分别下滑8.4%和8.84%。可以说，健康意识兴起、全民控糖走热，是含糖饮料出现增长瓶颈的诱因。
四 | 在《2025年有意思生活方式报告》中，近6成受访者表示在选购食品饮料时最先关注的就是成分健康（如低糖等），买饮料看配料表已经成了大多数消费者的习惯。在这样的趋势下，盘古智库高级研究员江瀚指出，饮料行业的逻辑已经被彻底改变。“含糖甜水”正在发生不可逆的收缩，而健康化、低糖化将成为长期趋势。而当行业出现整体性转身时，统一就显得不那么从容了。
无糖茶难撑在涨落之间，统一饮料的困境正在被放大。首先在于其饮料业务的基本盘都根植在含糖饮料之上。从产品布局来看，统一旗下有茶、果汁、奶茶、电解质水和包装水等多种品类。今年上半年茶饮料和果汁两大下滑版块共占据了饮料营收的6成以上，可其主力依旧是冰红茶、绿茶、鲜橙多等“含糖选手”。
五 | 换句话说，当健康化成为饮料行业主流时，统一饮料过于深刻的“含糖心智”，反而会成为其转身的最大包袱。
六 |
图源：视觉中国并且这些含糖大单品，早已暴露疲态。冰红茶诞生已超30年，鲜橙多推出已有20多年，在食品、饮料行业分析师林岳看来，这些产品早已进入成熟期的末端，如果后续营销和升级跟不上，很快就会进入衰退期。江瀚也有相似观点，他认为，统一饮料长期依赖经典大单品，会导致企业产品代际更新的能力不足。事实的确如此，近年来，饮料对手们都将推新升级列为首位，在2025年饮料新品TOP100榜单中，元气森林数量位列第一，如今它已经在一定程度上形成气泡水、冰茶和外星人的产品矩阵；农夫山泉也在就东方树叶系列、冰茶系列进行持续更新。反观统一，仅对红茶、绿茶和小茗同学等产品进行口味微调或简单的配方升级，始终未跳出旧有框架。
七 | “与其他品牌相比，统一的产品更新比较慢和微小，甚至有点陷入‘创新者窘境’了。”江瀚说道。
八 | 其次，在行业争抢的无糖茶赛道中，统一也略显迟缓。统一早在2004年就试水过无糖茶品牌“茶里王”，但没过几年，产品就退出了市场，直到2021年才重新拾起产品线，但此时先发优势早已被东方树叶等产品占据。后续，在2024年，统一又重新推出“春拂”品牌；在今年上半年财报中，统一明确要将“春拂”品牌独立运作，并且新增两款产品。
图源：视觉中国然而直到如今，统一无糖茶也未能产生明显声量。据多方行业数据监测，截至今年上半年，农夫山泉和三得利在无糖茶市场份额中占比已经超过87%，而统一则与康师傅、娃哈哈等综合饮料品牌一起，合计市场份额仅为7%左右，差距明显。
九 | 在林岳看来，统一在无糖茶上错失了市场先机，如今在多方围剿之下，它自身的产品力也不够强，所以难以撕开突破口。
渠道乏力只不过，除了产品端的问题外，统一的渠道也面临压力。江瀚告诉有意思报告，统一在传统渠道根基虽深，但在新兴便利店渠道和线上电商渠道的投入与运营是明显不足的，触达能力受限。近日，有意思报告走访了北京朝阳区5家全家和7-Eleven便利店，其中2家店内均未上架统一产品，剩余3家店内饮料冰柜内几乎被农夫山泉、百事可乐、果子熟了、元气森林和三得利等品牌占据，统一饮料只摆放了一层，且产品种类有限，仅有冰红茶、冰绿茶和阿萨姆奶茶三种产品。
图源：高越 摄当被问到是否有其他统一饮料产品时，一位7-Eleven店员透露，店内仅在统一春拂无糖茶做营销活动时，曾进过少量的货，后续产品售光后，就一直未再进货，并且冰柜里现有的统一饮料，也已经是全部存货了。在另一家社区超市中，统一旗下产品只有阿萨姆奶茶被摆放在显眼处货架，其他产品则被摆放在超市深处货架或边缘位置，超市经营者透露，“这是因为只有阿萨姆奶茶的动销最好”。与此同时，统一在线上渠道的短板同样明显。有意思报告查询发现，统一天猫旗舰店粉丝量达到295万，店内销量最高的阿萨姆奶茶已售出超3万件，绿茶已售出超2万件。
十 | 对比来看，元气森林官方旗舰店粉丝量超811万，店内气泡水销量超10万件，好自在销量超9万件。
十一 | 农夫山泉官方旗舰店内东方树叶销量也超10万件。
十二 | 甚至山姆、盒马等会员制超市的崛起，也在对传统渠道产生一定的挤压。华福证券大消费首席分析师刘畅在接受采访时表示，通过自有品牌，会员制超市所形成的渠道去品牌化的趋势正在改变消费者的购买决策。江瀚也坦言，“在新兴渠道中，统一正在被持续挤压和取代。”在这场饮料难关中，增长7.3%的奶茶业务是统一唯一的亮色，但它的低糖焦虑，并不能仅靠阿萨姆奶茶缓解。对统一来说，微调还不够，而是要在产品、渠道和战略等层面彻底“换血”。作者：高越编辑：安迪
