What Is Kopi Luwak Coffee and Who Sells It?
Four Cats, a Lijiang-based chain built on Yunnan coffee cultivation, has opened several experience stores and plans expansion toward Dali. Its catalog spans instant coffee, roasted ground coffee, whole beans and kopi luwak, with prices from 15 to 228 yuan and by-the-cup prices kept under 50 yuan. Kopi luwak is the civet-processed coffee the brand lists among these products.
The company grew out of an e-commerce operation founded by four partners under Hemei Coffee Company, later adding offline shops such as the Shuhe Ancient Town location that opened September 20. International chains like Starbucks and ZOO COFFEE have entered Lijiang only recently, which gave local roasters room to establish their retail footprint first.
The Yunnan-based local coffee chain brand "Four Cats" has expanded rapidly in Lijiang in recent years, opening multiple offline experience stores and planning to extend to cities like Dali. Leveraging Yunnan's coffee cultivation resource advantages, the brand started from e-commerce and gradually built an integrated online-offline sales network. Its products include instant coffee, roasted ground coffee, coffee beans, and kopi luwak, with prices ranging from 15 to 228 yuan, and cup prices controlled within 50 yuan, making its cost-effectiveness highly noteworthy. This article will detail the store distribution, brand background, product prices, and future expansion plans of Four Cats Coffee, and mention related recommendations from Front Street Coffee, providing a practical reference guide for coffee enthusiasts.
With the continuous rise in domestic residents' consumption levels, the leisure dining sector is accelerating its penetration into third- and fourth-tier cities and popular tourist destinations like Lijiang and Dali. Starbucks' first store in Lijiang opened on the 19th in the 5596 Commercial Street, and ZOO COFFEE has also signed to move into Xianghe Commercial Plaza. However, before these international chain giants have fully expanded, the local Lijiang coffee chain brand "Four Cats" has already risen to prominence, completing a multi-store layout. According to Winshang.com, the third store of "Four Cats" coffee shop has been established at Hanzhi Street, North Gate of Shuhe Ancient Town in Lijiang, and officially opened on September 20.
Four Cats Coffee Shop
Leveraging Yunnan's Coffee Producing Advantages to Cultivate an Internet Coffee Brand
"Four Cats" coffee shop was born in Lijiang, Yunnan, and jointly initiated by four founders: Xu Zhengxiong, Xie Wenzhang, He Jing, and Chen Sha. Each of them had their own independent brands, and later they jointly created this coffee experience brand under the platform of Hemei Coffee Company, from which the name "Four Cats Coffee" originated.
● Interior Layout of the Coffee Shop
Against the backdrop of e-commerce impacting traditional retail, many businesses have turned to online omnichannel operations, and "Four Cats" was born with an internet gene from the start. Yunnan has a long history of coffee cultivation and outstanding raw material quality. In 2010, under the leadership of major shareholder Xu Zhengxiong, Hemei Coffee Company established a complete industry chain from planting, production, processing to sales. In 2012, Xu Zhengxiong met three e-commerce partners—Xie Wenzhang, He Jing, and Chen Sha—and decided to jointly expand online business, giving rise to the "Four Cats" brand. At its inception, the four founders targeted young people as core customers based on the characteristics of e-commerce consumer groups.
● Four Cats Coffee's E-commerce Layout
As a brand in the internet era, "Four Cats" started early in e-commerce platform layout with broad channel coverage. It has now opened online stores on platforms such as Taobao, JD.com, Meituan, Dianping, Elephant Circle, and City Card, accumulating a certain online presence. Subsequently, the company gradually extended its business to offline experience segments.
Future plans to open chain stores in core commercial districts of well-known cities in Yunnan
On May 20, 2015, the first experience store of "Four Cats" opened on Mishi Alley, Xinyi Street, Lijiang Ancient Town; two months later, the second experience store appeared opposite Longtan Square on Huama Street in Lijiang; with the opening of the Shuhe North store on the 20th of this month, "Four Cats" has laid out 3 offline experience stores in Lijiang focused on coffee product display and tasting. In addition, "Four Cats" has signed an entry agreement with Lijiang Heye Plaza, and the fourth store is expected to open in February 2016. According to the company's plan, a total of 5 stores will be opened in the Lijiang market. After the Lijiang layout becomes saturated, "Four Cats" will also expand chain stores to well-known cities and prefectures within Yunnan Province such as Dali. From the current store locations, its experience stores are mostly chosen in core commercial districts of popular scenic spots with high foot traffic like Lijiang Ancient Town and old towns, and now it has also begun to extend to shopping malls.
● Interior of Four Cats
So, what are the characteristics of the offline experience stores of this "Four Cats," which excels in e-commerce operations? The origin and development of coffee are inextricably linked to cats, and the brand is named "Four Cats," so cat-themed decorative elements can be seen everywhere in the coffee shop, including the righteous Black Cat Detective, the innocent Doraemon, the clumsy Garfield, and the cute Hello Kitty. At "Four Cats" coffee shop, customers can learn about the profound history and culture behind coffee, learn methods to distinguish coffee bean quality, and also order a cup of coffee, enjoy the charming scenery of ancient towns, and savor a leisurely afternoon.
● Four Cats Coffee Logo
Currently, "Four Cats" product line covers instant coffee, roasted ground coffee, coffee beans, kopi luwak, etc., with prices ranging from 15 to 228 yuan, and cup prices controlled within 50 yuan. Foreign coffee cup prices are slightly higher, but leveraging the advantages of the full industry chain, "Four Cats" coffee famous products still outperform many similar brands in cost-effectiveness. To celebrate the opening of the new store, the Shuhe North store of "Four Cats" has also launched a 10-day free tasting event starting from the 21st, inviting consumers to taste premium coffee.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
