What Does the Mudanjiang Counterfeit Case Mean for the China Coffee Industry?

A newly opened tea shop in Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang Province, drew attention for closely imitating the chain brand 1 Dian Dian, including its green signage and interior style. A cup sticker covered the last character of the logo, revealing 1 Dian Tian when peeled off. The store is absent from the official mini-program and 1 Dian Dian has not franchised in Mudanjiang.

1 Dian Dian operates more than three thousand stores nationwide, but fewer than one hundred across Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning, with only ten authorized outlets in Heilongjiang. The brand said it has started defending its rights. The episode has renewed discussion of counterfeit infringement in China's beverage sector and shows how quickly consumers now verify store legitimacy through official apps.

A tea shop in Mudanjiang City has sparked heated online discussion due to its striking resemblance to the chain brand 1 Dian Dian. The shop not only copied 1 Dian Dian's signage and decor style but also disguised itself as "1 Dian" by using a cup sticker to cover the last character of the logo—when peeled off, it revealed "1 Dian Tian." The shop cannot be found on the official mini-program, and the franchise area has not been opened to Mudanjiang, leading netizens to conclude it is a counterfeit store. As public opinion grew, 1 Dian Dian officially stated in the comments section that they are "already on the path to defending their rights" and thanked netizens for their "sharp eyes." This incident not only gave local residents false hope but also once again brought the issue of counterfeit infringement in the tea beverage industry to the forefront.

▲

Click to follow | Daily specialty coffee culture magazine Coffee Workshop

Recently, a newly opened 1 Dian Dian store in Mudanjiang City suddenly became the subject of heated discussion among many netizens.

Those familiar with 1 Dian Dian may know that this chain tea brand has over three thousand stores nationwide, but the vast majority are distributed in coastal provinces, and the iconic green-background-white-text sign is rarely seen in the northern market. The total number of 1 Dian Dian stores in Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning is fewer than a hundred, with Heilongjiang Province having only 10 authorized stores. Local milk tea enthusiasts often lament that "a cup is hard to come by" and have been hoping the brand would expand into Northeast China soon.

(Image截取自窄门餐眼)

So when people learned that a 1 Dian Dian had quietly opened in Mudanjiang City, milk tea fans were thrilled, rushing to post photos of the store and the trial operation notice posted inside to share the good news with more people.

However, after the store entered its trial operation phase, netizens who visited noticed something unusual. "It's not on the mini-program at all," someone said, unable to find the store on the official mini-program. Meanwhile, other users looked up the franchise areas officially announced by 1 Dian Dian and found that the brand had not opened franchising in Mudanjiang City, leading them to suspect that this new store might not be officially authorized.

Next, more and more onlookers turned into "internet Sherlock Holmes," searching for clues from the signage logo, store decoration, and other details that were nearly identical to 1 Dian Dian, trying to distinguish whether the store was real or fake. Ultimately, through the takeaway cups posted by customers who visited the store, netizens finally figured out the actual name of this counterfeit shop.

From buyer shows on social media, the staff placed the drink label right over the brand logo, covering the last character, so customers only saw "1 Dian." But once the label was peeled off, they would find that "1 Dian" was followed not by "Dian" but by "Tian."

In addition, observant consumers also noticed that the straw packaging provided by the store was printed with "You Dian Tian," and the brand website on the cup was not "alittle-tea" but "yidiandian."

These "pieces of evidence" made netizens, who were already suspicious, even more convinced that this tea shop in Mudanjiang City, which closely resembled a 1 Dian Dian store, "is a fake." The store information displayed on the relevant enterprise information query platform was like a final hammer blow, convincing onlookers that this tea shop registered on November 3 under the name "Yi Dian Tian" had no connection whatsoever to the chain brand 1 Dian Dian.

At this point, this "brand store authenticity identification" came to a temporary close. Local residents who had been delighted that 1 Dian Dian was entering Mudanjiang City were greatly disappointed upon learning the truth, lamenting that their joy was in vain. On the other hand, fans, armed with sufficient evidence, called on the official brand to stop the merchant's infringement to avoid misleading citizens unfamiliar with the tea brand.

Thus, as public opinion gradually fermented and more people joined the discussion, 1 Dian Dian officially appeared in the comments section, clearly responding that they are "already on the path to defending their rights," indirectly confirming that the Mudanjiang store did not belong to the brand and that they would take corresponding actions to protect their rights. At the same time, the official also thanked the enthusiastic netizens who discovered the counterfeit store, saying, "Thanks to all the Dianmen for their sharp eyes."

Image source: Internet

Disclaimer: Some images in this article are from the internet. For some content on the website, such as images, we will respect the original copyright and indicate the source. However, due to the large quantity, some images and texts may not have been credited in time. Please understand. If the original author has any disputes, they can contact the website for handling. Once verified, we will immediately correct it. Compiled and edited by "Coffee Workshop." Please indicate the source when reposting. If there is any infringement, please inform us for deletion. Thank you~!

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