Why are the Luckin Coffee Thailand stores counterfeits?
Luckin Coffee confirmed that the Luckin Coffee stores seen in Thailand are counterfeits and that no Luckin store has opened there. The company discovered the fake store in Thailand as early as January, released videos to clarify the situation, and on August 9 issued a formal statement confirming the store was counterfeit and that legal action had begun to protect its rights.
Photos of the store shared on Xiaohongshu, whose owner is Chinese, suggest it began operating around December 20, 2020, and a Google search shows it still running. Meanwhile Luckin's latest financial report shows a net increase of 615 stores in a single quarter, bringing the total to 7,195, a pace that keeps attention fixed on whether the brand will expand overseas itself.
Recently, photos of Luckin Coffee appearing on the streets of Thailand have sparked heated discussion online. Has this national coffee brand, which successfully turned itself around, really gone abroad? The official response was quick and clear: the Thailand stores are outright counterfeits. This article sorts out the ins and outs of the incident, including how the counterfeit stores were discovered, Luckin's progress in defending its rights, and netizens' amusing reactions. It also explores Luckin's current overseas expansion plans. For those of you who love coffee, understanding brand developments and market phenomena is equally important.
Luckin Coffee, which once made a comeback from its low point, is now a national coffee brand in many people's daily lives. When travelers encounter a familiar domestic brand in a foreign country, it's hard not to feel a sense of warmth and pride. Recently, a netizen posted photos of a Luckin Coffee store taken in Thailand, drawing widespread attention. In response, Luckin Coffee officially spoke up quickly, clearly stating: Thailand's Luckin is fake!
Luckin Coffee's latest financial report is impressive, with a net increase of 615 stores in a single quarter, bringing the total number of stores to 7,195. Such a rapid pace of expansion has made the market pay especially close attention to its moves. Many consumers hope this little blue cup that "everyone loves" will open in Thailand soon. However, the reality is that Luckin has not yet stepped beyond its borders.
On Xiaohongshu, a user shared their experience of "running into" Luckin Coffee in Thailand and mentioned that the store owner is Chinese. Based on the post, it can be inferred that this counterfeit Luckin Coffee in Thailand began operating around December 20, 2020.
A Google search reveals that this knockoff store is still operating normally.
Thailand also has a thriving coffee culture, and the appearance of a counterfeit Luckin reflects, to some extent, Luckin's local visibility. In fact, Luckin discovered this counterfeit store in Thailand as early as January this year and successively released videos to clarify: Luckin Coffee has not opened any stores in Thailand.
It was not until August 9 that Luckin officially issued a statement confirming that the Thailand store was counterfeit and revealing that relevant departments had taken legal action to defend its rights. This process also reflects the hardships of brand rights protection.
Regarding Luckin's personal crackdown on counterfeits, netizens' comments were hilarious, with many joking that it was "Thai too much," "Thai outrageous," "Thai ridiculous"...
Some netizens even joined the "anti-counterfeiting squad" and posted knockoff brands such as "Ruixin Coffee" and "Ruixing Coffee," leaving people not sure whether to laugh or cry.
The reason this counterfeit Luckin in Thailand made many netizens mistakenly believe it was connected to Luckin in China is that its storefront, bar counter decor, disposable cups, packaging bags, and other materials all used a LOGO, English name, and color scheme extremely similar to those of Luckin in China.
The difference is that the little deer in the LOGO of this counterfeit store in Thailand is looking to the left, and there is an extra line of Thai text below the words "luckin coffee." These subtle differences led many netizens to believe the counterfeit store was real.
Luckin Coffee has not yet opened stores in Thailand, and some netizens in Thailand have expressed regret about this. Someone claiming to be a Luckin employee revealed that Luckin plans to expand into overseas markets, but currently has no overseas stores.
Image source: Xiaohongshu, Weibo, internet
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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
