Peet's Coffee Exits Shenzhen MixC World, Its First South China Location

Peet's Coffee closed its Shenzhen MixC World store on July 16, ending nearly four years of operation. The location, which opened in September 2021, was the brand's first in South China. It attracted many coffee enthusiasts on opening day and built a loyal following through consistent quality and a comfortable atmosphere. No closure notice was posted in advance, leaving regulars unable to say goodbye.

The space has been taken over by a Suzhou-based chain tea brand. Peet's has also quietly withdrawn from malls in Shenzhen and Shanghai, prompting speculation about market adjustments. The company attributed the closure to lease expiration. Still, the string of departures has left some consumers concerned about the specialty coffee chain's future in the region.

Peet's Coffee's first store in South China—the Shenzhen MixC World store—officially closed after business hours on July 16 this year, and the original site has been taken over by a Suzhou-based chain tea beverage brand. This store, which had been open for nearly four years, once attracted a large number of coffee enthusiasts to check in, and built up a loyal customer base through consistent quality and a comfortable environment. Unexpectedly, no closure notice was posted before the store shut down, and many regulars were unable to say goodbye in time. At the same time, Peet's has also quietly withdrawn from shopping malls in Shenzhen, Shanghai and other places, triggering speculation about adjustments to its market layout. The brand responded that the Shenzhen MixC World store's closure was due to lease expiration, but the phenomenon of successive store closures still makes some consumers feel concerned.

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Reports indicate that Peet's Coffee's Shenzhen MixC World store has officially ceased operations, and the space is currently covered by hoarding for a new brand, with the successor being a Suzhou-based chain tea beverage brand. Third-party platforms have also updated the store's status, showing it as closed.

It is understood that Peet's Shenzhen MixC World store opened in September 2021, marking Peet's first move into the South China market. On opening day, many local coffee enthusiasts came to check it out. During nearly four years of operation, Peet's cultivated a group of loyal customers through its consistently stable quality and pleasant store atmosphere, and nearby residents often walked in to order a cup of coffee and spend a leisurely afternoon.

Until July 16, this Peet's first South China store officially came to an end after closing for the day. However, judging from posts published by netizens on social platforms, before ceasing operations, the store did not post a closure notice in advance to inform regular customers as the Hangzhou West Lake store and the Guangzhou Teemall city first store had done, so most people could not learn the news of the closure immediately.

In the impression of nearby residents, although Peet's Shenzhen MixC World store was located in the dining area on the mall's basement level, because it connected with the mall plaza, people passing through the plaza could all see this sizable coffee shop. In addition, as the mall has continued to hold various events in recent years, the mall's north zone has become an internet-famous check-in spot within MixC World, with a constant stream of visitors, and this Peet's store also benefited from the resulting business.

For this reason, when everyone saw that the Peet's store they remembered as often full had suddenly withdrawn, and the original site was quickly replaced by hoarding for a tea beverage brand, regulars who had no time to bid farewell to the store could not help but feel regret. "My favorite Peet's, how is it gone," "I remember this one always did well; every time I went it was full, so I could only get takeaway," "No way, I was just there last week."

At the same time, some netizens pointed out that recently, in addition to the Shenzhen MixC World store, Peet's Shenzhen Joy Park store, Shenzhen Haiya Binfen store, and Shanghai Suhewan MixC World store had also all exited shopping malls without notice, leaving regular visitors caught off guard.

Compared with other competitors in the industry, Peet's pace of opening stores is slower, and its site selection is relatively cautious, with its market layout mainly focused on first-tier and new first-tier cities. Data from Geomarketing brand monitoring shows that Peet's currently has 259 operating stores. But seeing the brand close stores one after another, some netizens could not help but worry: "It feels like there are more and more closures; I'm afraid it won't last long," "Is it going to withdraw entirely?"

In response to this question, a public account sought verification from the Shenzhen MixC World side, and customer service responded that the reason for Peet's Coffee's withdrawal was lease expiration. As for whether the brand will continue to close mall stores afterward, there is currently no information that can confirm this speculation. However, judging from Peet's move late last year to launch the affordable sub-brand "ora coffee," some believe the brand may be intentionally adjusting its market layout.

Of course, some netizens hold a different view, pointing out that although Peet's has closed some stores, the official pace of expanding new stores has not stopped, and recently opened city first stores attracted local consumers to line up and check in as soon as they opened, so loyal users need not worry excessively.

Image source: Internet

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