Luxury brands venturing into coffee is nothing new—LV, Dior, Gucci, and others have all launched themed coffee events. Recently, Burberry opened a sapphire-blue pop-up coffee truck downstairs from the Rosewood Beijing, drawing plenty of passersby and aesthetics-driven visitors to stop and take photos. However, after one curious consumer paid a visit, they discovered that the coffee here, averaging 60 yuan a cup, was actually made with Nestlé capsules—and the latte they ordered turned out to be an Americano when it arrived. Even more surprising, the handwritten menu had misspelled the English word for Americano. Is this cup, jokingly called "90% emotional value" by netizens, actually worth paying for? Let's find out. [more…]

Uniqlo has opened its first café, "UNIQLO COFFEE," on the top floor of its flagship store in Ginza, Tokyo, marking yet another well-known clothing brand's foray into the coffee sector. From luxury giant LVMH to streetwear label MARNI, brands of all kinds are rushing into the coffee arena, making the industry's competitive landscape increasingly diverse. This article will walk you through the specifics of Uniqlo's café, analyze the business logic behind跨界 coffee shops, and explore the impact this trend is having on the coffee industry. [more…]

What kind of sparks fly when high-end jewelry meets specialty coffee? Italian luxury brand Bvlgari recently teamed up with Singaporean coffee brand Bacha Coffee to open an in-store pop-up shop, an event that will run until the end of January next year. This is not Bvlgari's first foray into the coffee arena; it previously opened Il Café, a coffee restaurant, in Osaka and has also attempted a co-branded collaboration with Manner Coffee. Behind luxury brands' frequent moves into the coffee market is the rapid rise of coffee culture and the growing ranks of young consumers. This article will walk you through the specific details of this collaboration, review Bvlgari's history of coffee crossovers, and analyze why luxury brands are increasingly turning their attention to the coffee sector. For more specialty coffee bean news, follow Front Street Coffee. [more…]