Why Did Luckin Coffee Collaboration Packaging Run Out?

Luckin Coffee launched a second limited collaboration with the game Honkai: Star Rail, but many customers found the themed cups and paper bags out of stock after ordering. Some received only the cup, some only the bag, and others neither, leaving fans to assemble sets across several stores. The free packaging was treated as part of the collaboration itself.

The first round earlier this month drew long queues at pop-up stores and lifted beverage sales at some outlets, so demand for round two outpaced store restocking. The dispute centers on whether brands should secure packaging supply alongside a campaign launch. Observers in specialty coffee watching the case note the gap between marketing reach and store-level logistics.

Luckin Coffee has launched limited-edition merchandise through its second collaboration with the hit game "Honkai: Star Rail," but many fans discovered after placing orders that the exclusive cups and themed paper bags were severely out of stock. Some received only one of the two items, while others got neither, forcing them to piece together orders across multiple stores. For collectors, these limited-edition packaging materials included as free gifts with orders are part of the collaboration experience, and the insufficient restocking at stores has left them quite disappointed. Whether brands should simultaneously ensure the supply of packaging materials when launching new campaigns has become the core of this controversy.

▲

Click to follow | Daily specialty coffee culture magazine Coffee Workshop

Last Monday, Luckin Coffee teamed up with the popular game "Honkai: Star Rail" (hereafter referred to as Honkai: Star Rail) to launch a limited-time collaboration, attracting a large number of players' attention. The limited-edition themed merchandise sold out quickly after going on sale, and long queues formed outside offline pop-up stores, demonstrating the considerable popularity.

The buzz generated by partnering with a highly popular game also boosted Luckin's recent beverage sales, with some stores even experiencing a surge in orders after the campaign launched. Seizing the momentum, Luckin launched a second round of collaboration with Honkai: Star Rail this week and released several new limited-edition themed merchandise items.

After the announcement, players keen on collecting naturally wouldn't pass up these limited-quantity collaboration items. They placed orders right on time this morning, eagerly awaiting delivery. But when their orders arrived, what they saw were brown kraft paper bags and ordinary transparent cups—their anticipation instantly turned into dissatisfaction with the brand.

Judging from buyers' posts on social media, among users who participated in the campaign, some received only the limited-edition cup but no paper bag, some got the themed paper bag but were missing the collaboration cup they had been longing for, and others reported receiving neither. Some joked that if not for pulling the limited-edition merchandise they'd managed to snag out of a kraft paper bag, judging by appearances alone, "who would know I bought a collaboration item?"

For fans who care more about the packaging than the product itself, what they want to collect isn't just the collaboration merchandise released by the brand, but also packaging materials like paper bags and takeaway cups printed with specific designs. In their view, these limited-edition packaging materials included free with orders are also part of the collaboration campaign, allowing players who didn't manage to get the limited-edition merchandise to still feel some sense of participation.

However, in Luckin's second collaboration with Honkai: Star Rail, many consumers said that in order to complete the full set of limited-edition packaging materials, they had to place separate orders at multiple local stores, piecing things together to barely complete the collection. Some users also said that to get a certain collaboration cup, they not only bought a designated combo but also paid extra to upgrade the cup size, only to receive an ordinary transparent cup. After complaining, they were told the store was out of stock and couldn't send a replacement, so they ultimately had to accept a compensatory coupon from customer service.

The severe shortage of themed packaging materials left many users visibly disappointed. They noted that this game has a massive player base, and many people would place orders specifically for the collaboration merchandise and limited-edition packaging, so it's understandable that some stores ran through their inventory of materials last week.

But since Luckin launched a second round of collaboration this week, it should ensure that offline stores can continue to supply the collaboration cups, paper bags, and other items included in the themed combos, rather than only restocking merchandise while neglecting the campaign's limited-edition packaging. This leaves users who purchased designated combos for the collaboration unable to receive products consistent with the promotional images, and unable to have the same campaign experience as last week.

Image source: Xiaohongshu

Disclaimer: Some images in this article are from the internet. We respect the copyright of original works and will credit sources for content on our website such as images. However, due to the large volume, some images and text may not have been credited in time. We ask for your understanding. If any original author has any concerns, please contact the website and we will handle it. Once verified, we will correct it immediately. Compiled and edited by "Coffee Workshop." Please indicate the source when reposting. If there is any infringement, please let us know and we will delete it. Thank you ~ !

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