What Does the Luckin Coffee Yichang Case Show?

A new Luckin Coffee store in Yichang, Hubei, drew online attention after a Mixue Bingcheng construction hoarding and banner appeared at the vacant storefront next door shortly after it opened. Mixue's official account later bought promotion for the post, turning a local site-selection coincidence into a widely shared discussion about why the two chains keep landing beside each other.

The pattern has appeared in many cities. Analysts say Luckin uses data analysis to secure high-traffic spots first, while Mixue saves on site selection by taking nearby vacancies and gaining exposure from the online buzz. For the coffee store sector, the episode shows how differently chain brands weigh location strategy.

Recently, a netizen in Yichang, Hubei, revealed that shortly after a new Luckin Coffee store opened, a Mixue Bingcheng construction hoarding went up next door, along with a playful banner reading "Dear Luckin: It feels like we just met..." which quickly drew online attention. Mixue Bingcheng's official account subsequently purchased promotion for the post, prompting netizens to exclaim, "Is this what a business war looks like?" In fact, Mixue Bingcheng closely following Luckin's site selection has appeared in many places across the country, jokingly dubbed the "red-blue CP." Some analysts believe that Luckin, leveraging its data analysis capabilities, is the first to seize high-traffic locations, while Mixue Bingcheng saves on site selection costs by taking over nearby vacant storefronts, while also gaining exposure through online topics. Front Street Coffee also notes that this phenomenon reflects the strategic differences among chain brands in the competition for locations.

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Recently, a post published by a netizen in Hubei on a social platform attracted a large crowd of onlookers and discussion.

It is understood that Luckin opened a new store in Yichang, Hubei. Not long after it began operating, a Mixue Bingcheng hoarding appeared on the adjacent storefront, with a striking red banner with white text hanging at the signboard position, reading: "Dear Luckin: It feels like we just met. Hearing that you are about to march onto the battlefield, I am always ready to share the prosperous times with you (the storefront next door has already been secured). Your Xue."

This message from the Snow King added a touch of banter to the store competition between the two brands. After the poster captured this scene, they also added the caption "Luckin: Call the police for me! Call the police for me, hey!" as if the two brands were conversing across the air, and the post's popularity rose rapidly in a short time.

Interestingly, Mixue Bingcheng's official account did not appear in the heated comment section, but quietly bought promotion for the post, which surprised the poster and onlooking fans, who sighed one after another, "Is this what a business war looks like?"

In fact, the topic of Mixue Bingcheng opening stores right next to Luckin has been circulating online for a long time, and street scenes of the chubby Snow King standing next to the blue deer can be seen all over the country. Many residents report that now some new Luckin stores have been open for less than a week when the vacant storefront next door is already enclosed by Mixue Bingcheng advertising fabric and soon enters the renovation stage. Some netizens also posted photos saying that Luckin set up a mobile food truck on the street, "and there's a temporary Xue prefab room next to it."

The inseparable state of the two brands has inspired netizens' creativity, and many jokes about this "red-blue CP" have emerged in the comment section: "This is unwavering devotion, together in life and death," "Mixue: I will cling to you like a ghost, forever and ever," "A timely snow promises a good year, you two should be together," "It runs, it chases, it cannot escape even with wings," "The Snow King renting such a large storefront shows its determination to follow unto death."

Jokes aside, judging from the store distribution reported by residents, many people think Mixue Bingcheng, which is "obsessed with being Luckin's neighbor," is quite shrewd. They point out that chain brands usually need market research and analysis of surrounding consumer groups to determine whether a community location is suitable for opening a store, while Luckin, relying on its own data analysis model, can often be the first to lock onto high-traffic locations in the city and move in ahead of others.

In this way, Mixue Bingcheng, by opening stores in pursuit of Luckin, "doesn't need to bother with site selection itself" and only needs to take over nearby vacant storefronts, invisibly saving a high cost of trial and error. At the same time, it can also use online public opinion to "stir up its CP with Luckin," increasing brand exposure and allowing fans to quickly discover new store locations, achieving multiple benefits at once. Front Street Coffee believes that although this follow-the-leader strategy seems opportunistic, it also reflects mature brands' flexible responses in the site selection game.

Image source: Xiaohongshu

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