Why Mstand's lunchbox falls short of coffee after lunch routines

Mstand launched a lunchbox nicknamed the cattle and horse trough, sold as a limited two-cup set with a new coffee blossom-flavored latte. Buyers report scratches, rough latch edges, small capacity, and no microwave-safe label. The complaints focus on build quality rather than the drink itself.

Chain coffee brands often push merchandise as office workers return from holidays, and Manner re-released its ceramic cups in new colors at the same time. For anyone packing lunch and having coffee after lunch, or coffee after meal as a daily habit, a flimsy box undercuts the set's practical appeal.

As people return to work after the holidays, chain coffee brands are rolling out merchandise one after another to grab office workers' attention. Manner released its popular ceramic cups in fresh colors as a limited edition, while Mstand took a different route by launching a lunchbox jokingly dubbed the "cattle and horse trough," paired with its newly developed coffee blossom-flavored latte in a limited two-cup set. However, after receiving the actual product, consumers found that the lunchbox had problems such as scratches everywhere, rough edges on the latches, a capacity on the small side, and no indication on the material that it was microwave-safe, triggering a flood of complaints. From looks to practicality, this piece of merchandise seems to have failed to meet the expectations of those who bring their own lunch.

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With the holiday over, office workers are returning to their posts one after another, and the chain coffee brands around office buildings have launched a new round of marketing campaigns, trying to draw old customers who have returned to their daily commutes back into their stores. Manner, known as the "cup factory of the coffee world," gave its previously sought-after ceramic cups a bright new color scheme and re-released them as a limited edition.

Its old rival Mstand, nicknamed the "coffee general store" by fans, did not continue to focus on affordable bags this time. Instead, it unexpectedly came out with a lunchbox jokingly called the "cattle and horse trough" by netizens, paired with the brand's newly developed coffee blossom-flavored latte, and put it on sale as a limited two-cup set.

(Image taken from the Mstand official WeChat account)

For office workers who bring their own lunch every day, Mstand's move hit right at their needs. Many praised the lunchbox for its minimalist appearance and strong practicality, saying it came at just the right time. Merchandise fans who had long been tempted quickly placed orders after the set went on sale and got their hands on it right away.

But when consumers received the goods and opened the packaging full of anticipation, they found that the lunchbox felt somewhat flimsy in the hand, with a texture far less solid than imagined, and the latches on both sides still had prickly rough edges. Looking more carefully, although the shell color was bright, scratches could be seen everywhere, and the printed brand logo was incomplete as a result, making many people frown. "It looks old, too many scratches and can't be cleaned off."

Unlike the appearance-focused buyers who first noticed the damage to the exterior, the practicality-minded raised many doubts about the lunchbox's material and capacity. Although the outer packaging indicated that the main material was PP polypropylene, it did not state whether it could be placed in a microwave for heating. For lunch packers who prefer hot food and hot dishes, even if this plastic lunchbox has good sealing, it does not itself have any heat-preservation function. If it also cannot be microwaved, daily use would be very inconvenient.

In addition, some users who received the actual product reported that the Mstand lunchbox's capacity was on the small side, and the middle divider could not be adjusted freely. In their view, this piece of merchandise might be more suitable for people on a fat-loss diet who need to control their food intake, or for those whose appetite is not large to begin with.

"This kind of material looks only suitable for holding a bit of white-people food. Any hot meal of the kind we eat would make it feel not very clean," "Even stainless steel would be better than plastic," "This kind of painted stuff, I'm afraid it's not safe," "Putting food in it feels like the material isn't very safe," "The lunchbox is especially small, not practical at all."

Some users also said bluntly that after getting the actual product, they "regretted it so much their guts turned green," and "Plastic, lots of defects, and it still costs 38. Even if I were a beast of burden, I wouldn't use this." They admitted that they had ordered it for the practicality of the merchandise, but now they did not dare use it for daily lunch packing, and could only let it serve its last remaining function as storage, placing it on the counter to hold small odds and ends.

Mstand had previously released tableware such as cups and tea bowls, which had a good reputation among fans, but this lunchbox made many consumers express their disappointment without reservation.

They believe that if a brand wants to create practical merchandise and integrate it into users' daily life scenarios, it should consider multiple dimensions at the design stage, such as the material of the box body and the size of the capacity. Only in this way, when consumers receive it, will they not have doubts about its practicality because of its appearance or texture, and it will not end up as a decorative item that looks good but is useless.

Image source: Xiaohongshu

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