Where Does Packaging Fit in the Coffee and Tea Supply Chain?

Some customers buying A Little Tea milk tea received their drinks in unbranded thin plastic bags or even black garbage bags. Store employees said headquarters had promised to replace plastic bags with paper bags before the New Year but never delivered, leaving shops short of packaging through the Spring Festival and Valentine's Day rush.

Staff reported being told the paper bags would not arrive until April, and some stores had no other option on hand. While many chain drink brands roll out co-branded paper bags, A Little Tea's continued plastic packaging has divided its fans, and the mismatch between a supply promise and what reaches stores is the root of the complaints.

Recently, some consumers reported that when buying a cup of Yidiandian milk tea at a store, the staff actually packed the drinks in thin transparent plastic bags or even black garbage bags, sparking heated discussion online. Behind this is not that the store is being stingy, but that the paper bags promised by headquarters have still not arrived, leaving some stores in the awkward situation of "having no bags available." Employees revealed that before the New Year, headquarters notified them that plastic bags would be replaced with paper bags, but there has been no sign of them to this day. Instead, they were told they would have to wait until April. During this period, they went through the Spring Festival and Valentine's Day consumption peaks, and many stores' packing bag inventories ran critically low. At a time when many chain brands are launching co-branded paper bags one after another, Yidiandian's insistence on plastic bag packaging has also triggered polarized discussion among fans. This article will take you through the whole incident and the reactions from all sides.

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Recently, a customer posted on social media under the title "How did Yidiandian become so sloppy," recounting that when buying milk tea at a certain store, the staff used an unbranded thin transparent plastic bag to hold the drinks.

This was not an isolated case. Another consumer also posted that when they recently went to an offline store to buy drinks, an employee told them the store's packing bags had run out, so they used a black plastic bag to hold two cups of milk tea. The customer said they agreed somewhat dazedly at the time, but in hindsight, the store should have been able to provide an insulated bag. Yet the employee did not mention it and instead handed over a garbage bag, which left them feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

The successive complaints from customers have left many Yidiandian employees with unspoken grievances. They explained helplessly that it was not that they were being petty or unwilling to give customers better-quality packing bags, but that the store really had no plastic bags left.

According to employees, before the New Year, headquarters issued a notice saying that the plastic packing bags currently used in stores would be replaced with paper bags, and reminding those in charge to control inventory levels when ordering packaging materials.

However, more than half a month has passed since the New Year, and the paper bags promised by headquarters are still nowhere to be seen. Instead, "now they tell us paper bags won't be available until April," which caught stores with insufficient stock off guard. After two consumption peaks during the Spring Festival and Valentine's Day, some stores have fallen into the predicament of "store packing bags are used up and no more can be ordered."

As a result, some employees had no choice but to buy ordinary plastic bags themselves to pack drinks, barely getting through this awkward period of "having no bags available."

As for the insulated bags mentioned by netizens, employees said helplessly that insulated bags cost more and have corresponding inventory, and are usually only used for delivery orders. If customers want an insulated bag when buying drinks offline, they need to pay an additional packing fee. If employees directly used insulated bags to replace the original plastic bags, it would not only violate store product requirements, but also cause the packing bag inventory count to fail to match.

While chain brands have been using paper packing bags printed with brand logos and co-branded IPs, and attracting fan attention with their distinctive and attractive bags, Yidiandian has always insisted on using plastic bags with a white background and green dots. Interestingly, the brand's loyal users have different views on the plastic bags the company insists on using.

Those who care about appearance think that "carrying a plastic bag feels like buying groceries," and that plastic bags may smell bad, fade, and are not environmentally friendly, affecting the customer experience. But the practical faction believes plastic bags are sturdy and durable, not easily damaged, and after holding milk tea they can still be used for miscellaneous items or trash. Moreover, on rainy days, plastic bags give customers a sense of security, as they do not have to worry about the bottom of the bag breaking after getting wet.

Therefore, regarding "Yidiandian returning to paper bag packaging," users who have long been troubled by plastic bags are naturally overjoyed and fully supportive: "Paper bags really look good," "These are so pretty, hurry up and switch." Some netizens even speculated that the brand "switching to paper bags is probably about joining the wave of co-branding everywhere in the milk tea industry," and are already looking forward to the company's future co-branding moves.

However, longtime fans hope the brand will keep things as they are: "No way, I like plastic bags," "Don't!!! They tear easily on rainy days," "Plastic bags are super convenient; paper bags are troublesome and not sturdy, easy to fall apart." In their view, insisting on plastic bag packaging is something unique to Yidiandian. Once switched to paper bags, it would align with the tone of other brands and lack a bit of distinctiveness.

Image source: Xiaohongshu

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