Why are Luckin Coffee new product posts misleading?
A drink labeled Luckin Pistachio Coconut Water appeared under the Luckin New Product tag, prompting customers to search the ordering platform, where it was not listed. The poster later said the drink was mixed by an employee and was never an official release. Similar employee-made drinks have been posted before under the same tag, drawing thousands of likes and eager questions about how to buy them.
None of those drinks can be purchased in stores or through the ordering channels, so customers who arrive expecting them leave disappointed. Employees also take on risk, since private drinks made under strict production rules and monitored inspections can bring trouble to themselves and their stores. Consumers remain unsure what coffee is made from in these posts and what is genuinely official.
Luckin Coffee has always been lightning-fast with new product launches, and many fans keep a close eye on the "Luckin New Product" tag to get first-hand news. Recently, however, a netizen spotted a drink called "Luckin Pistachio Coconut Water" under that tag—refreshing and tempting in appearance—yet it was nowhere to be found on the store menu. It turned out that this drink was actually a DIY creation mixed by a Luckin employee, but it had been posted on social media with the "Luckin New Product" tag. Similar cases have occurred multiple times, often racking up thousands of likes, with fans eagerly asking in the comments how to buy it—only to find that none of them could be purchased in stores or on the ordering platform. Consumers arrive at the store full of anticipation only to have cold water thrown on them, and dissatisfaction follows. At the same time, employees also face the risk of violating rules; under strict production regulations and monitoring inspections, privately made drinks could bring trouble to themselves and their stores.
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Everyone can see how frequently Luckin Coffee launches new products—so fast it's dizzying. That's why many Luckin enthusiasts keep a close eye on the "Luckin New Product" tag, scrolling through it every few days for fear of missing any new release updates.
Sure enough, a netizen discovered a drink they had never seen before under the "Luckin New Product" tag—"Luckin Pistachio Coconut Water." Pistachio matcha milk cap blended with clear coconut water, forming a gradient of green, highly photogenic, making one want to take a sip of this new product.
But when this netizen excitedly opened the ordering platform, they found that this product was nowhere on the menu. The original poster clearly replied in the comments that this drink was actually made by an employee themselves and was not an official new product launched by Luckin.
Posting employee-made drinks with the "Luckin New Product" tag on the platform is not the first time. These so-called "Luckin New Product" posts generally get high engagement, often thousands, and fans in the comments compete to ask how to get a taste. But without exception, these employee drinks cannot be bought in stores or through ordering channels.
Being told that the drink they had been longing for was simply unavailable left this netizen devastated. They posted a complaint accusing those employees who label their DIY drinks as "Luckin New Products" of misleading the public, making unknowing people believe it's real: "Isn't it pure misleading for employees to DIY and tag it as a new product?"
From the netizen's perspective, it's completely understandable for employees to make themselves a drink that suits their taste and looks good as a treat, and sharing photos of their workday is only human nature. Some employee drinks with fresh and elegant looks are even eye-catching, making one want to suggest that the R&D staff come take a look at their own employees' creations—perhaps with some tweaking, next month's new product R&D KPI could be completed ahead of schedule.
However, once these unofficial, menu-absent DIY drinks are shared on social media by employees with the "Luckin New Product" tag, word spreads like wildfire, and interested consumers learn about them and mistake them for Luckin's hidden menu. When they arrive at the store, the staff throws cold water on them, ruining their whole day.
On the other hand, according to Luckin's strict production regulations and monitoring inspections, staff are not allowed to alter recipes at will; even drinks employees make for themselves must follow the recipe—though some stores "turn a blind eye." But according to employees, if store surveillance cameras catch a DIY drink at the bar, it could bring unnecessary trouble to both the employee and the store.
So these DIY employee drinks appearing on the platform under the banner of "Luckin New Products" also give Luckin workers quite a headache, fearing that uninformed customers will bring these pictures and recipes to stores and demand that staff make them. When staff refuse the request because they can't provide it, it may well invite negative reviews and complaints from customers.
Image source: Xiaohongshu
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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
