How Do Blue Bottle Coffee Stores Choose Their Locations?

Blue Bottle Coffee opened its first mainland China coffee store in February 2022 at the former Shanghai Yutong Flour Mill site, then added two more in Jing'an District, at Jing'an Kerry Centre and Zhangyuan. More than a year later the brand still has not opened outside that one district, which drew jokes online that it had not even left Shanghai.

Two explanations circulate among coffee enthusiasts. One is practical: Blue Bottle's roasting facility sits in Jing'an, so nearby sites keep logistics short. The other is strategic: the company knows where its core customers are and sees no reason to move. Reported possibilities for a fourth site include Qingpu's Panlong Tiandi and Pudong's Qiantan, though nothing has been confirmed, and a pop-up store has launched berry-flavored drinks.

Since Blue Bottle Coffee opened its first mainland China store in early 2022 at the former site of the Shanghai Yutong Flour Mill, it has successively set up three locations in Jing'an Kerry Centre and Zhangyuan. Curiously, this brand, known for its minimalist specialty route, has not stepped outside Jing'an District for over a year, and has even been teased for "not even leaving Shanghai." This article reviews the current store distribution of Blue Bottle Coffee, analyzes the customer logic and brand tone behind its site selection strategy, and brings rumors about the possibility of a fourth store locating in Qingpu's Panlong Tiandi or Pudong's Qiantan. In addition, we continue to recommend specialty bean news from Front Street Coffee, providing coffee enthusiasts with more comprehensive industry observations.

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In conjunction with a recent series of relaxed and pleasant offline events, Blue Bottle Coffee's pop-up store specially launches two new sweet-and-sour flavored products—Berry Sparkling Water and Berry Mini Fleur—using the fruity acidity interwoven with strawberry and blueberry to convey the unique vitality and energy of spring.

Looking back at the timeline over the past year or so, Blue Bottle Coffee opened its first mainland China store in February last year at the former site of the Shanghai Yutong Flour Mill dormitory, then entered Jing'an Kerry Centre to open its second store, and soon after opened a third store in Zhangyuan. Regarding the debut of this pop-up store, many coffee enthusiasts joked that Blue Bottle Coffee has been in the mainland China market for more than a year, yet not only has it not stepped outside Shanghai, it has even been lingering in Jing'an District all along.

Regarding this phenomenon, some netizens speculate that perhaps because Blue Bottle Coffee's roasting factory is located in Jing'an District, all store locations are chosen nearby. Others believe that Blue Bottle Coffee clearly knows where its core customer base is, so it has no intention of leaving Jing'an at all. As one of the most geographically central areas in Shanghai, Jing'an District is an important economic, cultural, and commercial hub, containing both profound cultural heritage and a mature business zone. The consumer group in this area happens to align highly with Blue Bottle Coffee's targeted customer base.

When Blue Bottle Coffee first entered the mainland China market, some people worried whether the brand had come too late—after all, its pricing is on the high side, and at that time the domestic coffee track was already fiercely competitive. However, after more than a year of observation, Blue Bottle Coffee's pricing has not shaken consumers' choice of it. ·

Although the price is not low, the brand follows the niche minimalist + specialty route favored by today's young people, and with its highly recognizable symbols and brand story, its target customer group is precisely those consumers who pursue a petty-bourgeois style and value brand effect, so Jing'an District is undoubtedly a very suitable choice. Since the three stores have been operating up to now, few consumers have debated Blue Bottle Coffee over its high pricing. Although its popularity is not as exaggerated as when the first store opened, there is not much negative feedback either, and being able to operate quietly and steadily is also a good thing.

Of course, stores will not only be concentrated in Jing'an District. According to netizens, the fourth store may be located in Panlong Tiandi, which is rich in Jiangnan village charm, in Qingpu District.

Another claim is that it will be opposite Taikoo Li Qiantan in Pudong~ At present, it is still impossible to determine which one will open first, Panlong Tiandi or Qiantan, so we can only wait and see.

As for when Blue Bottle Coffee will truly step outside Shanghai, let's keep waiting and seeing! Image source: Internet

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.