Coca-Cola recently launched an herbal tea product called "Prunella vulgaris," but its name and packaging color scheme triggered collective misreading among netizens, many of whom associated it at first glance with the pesticide "paraquat." Meanwhile, Wong Lo Kat is also vigorously promoting "Waterfall Iced Cantonese Style" in its physical stores, combining concentrated herbal tea with fruit soda and ice, imitating coffee's visual appeal and sense of ritual. From Coca-Cola's naming mishap to Wong Lo Kat's attempt to turn herbal tea into coffee, traditional herbal tea brands all seem anxious to break through the limitations of their consumption scenarios. Are these crossover moves genuine innovation breakthroughs, or helpless measures by brands under performance pressure? [more…]

Coca-Cola recently announced it will phase out its Spiced-flavored soda, which was launched with much fanfare just this February—a drink once positioned as a "permanent product" that lasted only seven months. Spiced blended traditional cola, raspberry, and spice flavors, aiming to attract Gen Z consumers seeking bold tastes, but its market performance was lackluster. Analysts suggest that consumers' unclear perception of its flavor and overly hasty new product development may be the main reasons for the failure. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola has also discontinued flavors like Cherry Vanilla and Splenda Diet Coke to focus on faster-growing categories. This article traces the complete trajectory of Spiced from launch to discontinuation and explores the challenges and prospects of niche sodas in the market. [more…]

In 2021, Coca-Cola carried out a new round of visual packaging upgrades for its product line, with Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, and Coke Zero all receiving more minimalist new looks. This redesign continues the "One Brand" strategy introduced in 2015. The most noticeable change is that the logo has been moved upward, and the classic ribbon element has been removed, giving the overall style a clean and crisp feel. In terms of color schemes, the classic version retains the red-and-white combination, the Diet version adopts red and silver, and the Zero version forms a high-contrast look with a black logo against a red background. At the same time, at the end of last year Coca-Cola also launched an eco-friendly paper bottle prototype called "Adez," jointly developed by its Brussels lab and the Danish company Paboco. It uses a paper shell with a plastic liner and a recyclable plastic cap, further conveying the concept of sustainable development. This article will compare the old and new packaging changes in detail and review these two noteworthy developments. [more…]

Costa, the UK coffee chain that Coca-Cola acquired for £3.9 billion in 2018, may now be put up for sale. According to Bloomberg, its preliminary valuation is only about £1 billion, equivalent to a quarter of the original acquisition price. Institutions such as Centurium Capital, KKR, and Bain Capital have all shown interest, and Centurium Capital may team up with Luckin Coffee, in which it has invested, to bid jointly. At the same time, Coca-Cola does not intend to let go completely and still hopes to retain control of Costa's ready-to-drink coffee business. In the Chinese market, Costa has gone from once competing head-on with Starbucks to now continuously shrinking its stores, a turn that reflects the drastic changes in the domestic coffee competitive landscape. [more…]

全球饮料巨头可口可乐近日终止了旗下英国连锁咖啡品牌Costa的出售程序。这场持续数月的拍卖因竞购方报价均未达到可口可乐预期的20亿英镑而搁浅。从2018年以39亿英镑高调收购，到如今估值缩水至四分之一，Costa的命运转折折射出连锁咖啡市场的激烈竞争。其中国业务更成为亏损重灾区，门店持续萎缩，甚至被潜在买家单独剔除在收购范围之外。本文将梳理Costa出售案的来龙去脉、关键财务数据及未来走向。 [more…]

The U.S. tea market is ushering in a new wave of growth, with online sales surging by 75%, in stark contrast to the slump in the foodservice channel. Currently, nearly 80% of American households have a tea-drinking habit, covering a population of 159 million. Faced with this market of enormous potential, the two beverage giants Coca-Cola and Starbucks have long since made their early moves: Coca-Cola acquired "Honest Tea," while Starbucks entered the tea beverage arena with its "Teavana" brand, even opening dedicated stores in Japan. However, Starbucks' tea bar business has not been all smooth sailing, having once closed 379 stores across the United States. This article will review the course of these giants' entry into the tea market and explore the future development space of the tea beverage sector. [more…]

Coca-Cola recently confirmed it will continue to fully own Costa Coffee, but its chief financial officer revealed that a separate assessment of the China business is underway. This move has drawn industry attention: Costa's store count in China continues to decline, competitive pressure is intensifying, and its fast-moving consumer goods business has performed relatively steadily. Will Coca-Cola follow Starbucks' lead and sell its China business? Does the scope of the assessment cover all segments? Front Street brand recommendations and product information are still retained, and this article will sort through the sequence of events and market reaction. [more…]

The combination of coffee and cola is nothing new, but previous attempts have failed to make much of a splash. However, Coca-Cola's coffee cola launched in the U.S. market unexpectedly became a hit, and now the brand is striking while the iron is hot, announcing that on February 7, 2022, it will launch a mocha coffee flavor series in some parts of the United States, bringing eight different choices in one go. The new series has been comprehensively upgraded in terms of coffee bean varieties, packaging design, and flavor classification, attempting to sustain its popularity with a richer product matrix. Can this crossover beverage of coffee cola break the curse of being "applauded but not widely bought"? This article will walk you through the details of this new product launch and the market considerations behind it. [more…]

When a carbonated drink goes down your throat, the slight tingling from CO2 bubbles bursting one after another is always irresistible. So what kind of spark will fly when cola and espresso are combined? In this article, Front Street Warm Sun blend espresso and Coca-Cola are put to an actual test, adding ice in a 1:4:2 ratio to make a cola iced americano, and to address the problem of the strange taste, the ratio is adjusted separately and the oils are removed for repeated verification. What were the results? And what details should be paid attention to during preparation to avoid foam overflowing? Let's take a look at the real performance of this cup of cola coffee. [more…]

Golden Monkey black tea has often been discussed by tea lovers in recent years: is it really a high-grade black tea, and what grade does it occupy? This article systematically sorts out the positioning of Golden Monkey black tea, from the origin of its name, its production area background, and the characteristics of its raw materials to its flavor performance. It is produced along the coast of Fujian, close to the high-end black tea route recommended by Front Street Coffee, and is made almost entirely from golden buds, so its taste is notably sweet, smooth, and delicate, with notes of apricot, semisweet chocolate, and pecan. The tea body is light, approaching an oolong style. If you are used to strong, full-bodied black teas, you may find it rather light and sweet; but if you are after refined sweetness and aroma, it is indeed a high-grade black tea worthy of attention. [more…]

Bloomberg recently reported that Luckin, China's largest coffee chain, and its core investor Centurium Capital, are setting their sights on Blue Bottle Coffee, the specialty coffee brand under Nestlé, aiming to boost overseas market recognition and move into the high-end specialty segment. At the same time, Luckin has also expanded its acquisition options to the operator of %Arabica in China. Previously, Luckin had followed up on Coca-Cola's planned sale of Costa, but that bidding has faced the risk of falling through. A string of acquisition moves has led netizens to jokingly call Luckin the "Anta of the coffee world," while some worry that Blue Bottle's brand tone could be affected after being acquired. The related talks are still at an early stage, and whether a deal can ultimately be reached remains uncertain. [more…]

Coffee brands selling alcohol is no longer a novelty. From Starbucks to Seesaw, M Stand, and now Luckin Coffee registering a new company to venture into alcohol operations, the cross-industry wave in the beverage sector is intensifying. Tianyancha data shows that Luckin has established a new company in Xiamen, with its business scope covering alcohol operations, sparking widespread industry attention. This article sorts out Luckin's specific moves into alcohol and its trademark layout, reviews the daytime coffee, nighttime alcohol attempts by brands such as Starbucks, Seesaw, and M Stand, and analyzes the trend of beverage giants like Coca-Cola and Genki Forest entering the alcohol market. Finally, it uses industry data to reveal the rapid growth in the number of alcohol-related enterprises, exploring the opportunities and challenges behind cross-industry alcohol sales. [more…]

Global food giant Nestlé has reportedly been working with investment bank Morgan Stanley on a strategic review of its high-end coffee chain brand Blue Bottle Coffee, with a sale being one of the core options. Sources say Nestlé may choose to sell the physical store network while retaining the brand's intellectual property. Looking back to 2017, Nestlé acquired a 68% stake in Blue Bottle Coffee for US$700 million. Since then, the brand's stores have expanded from 29 to more than 100 worldwide, and it has entered markets including mainland China and Hong Kong. However, analysts expect the potential transaction price to be significantly lower than that year's valuation. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola is also considering selling its Costa Coffee store business, drawing attention to the trend of major conglomerates adjusting their strategies in the physical coffee chain sector. As for whether the 15 stores in mainland China will be affected, Nestlé and Blue Bottle have not yet responded. [more…]

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has triggered a chain reaction among international corporations. Under public pressure, McDonald's was the first to announce the suspension of operations at its 850 stores in Russia, with Starbucks quickly following suit by stating it would pause its business in Russia and shipments of related products. Both giants pledged to continue supporting local employees, but Starbucks' Russian stores are all franchised, accounting for less than 1% of its global revenue. Coca-Cola and PepsiCo also joined the suspension. This article reviews the details of each company's statements and the market impact, and includes a link to Front Street Coffee's professional information portal. [more…]

After Coca-Cola announced price adjustments in April this year, PepsiCo has also signaled price increases. Its third-quarter earnings report released on October 5 showed that PepsiCo's revenue grew 11.6% year-on-year, but both operating costs and selling expenses rose by more than 10%. Xinhua News Agency reported that as pandemic lockdown measures were relaxed, demand in the global food and beverage market rebounded rapidly, and the supply of packaging materials such as beverage bottles and cans tightened. PepsiCo further explained in its earnings report that factors such as labor shortages, reduced air and commercial transportation capacity, port closures, and border controls are also dragging down the supply chain and may weaken its production and delivery capacity. Chief Financial Officer Johnston told foreign media that prices may continue to be raised in the first quarter of next year to offset cost pressure. Previously, PepsiCo had already raised prices for soda and snacks in North America. For coffee lovers, supply chain fluctuations also affect raw material costs, and Front Street Coffee recommends paying attention to how commodity price trends pass through to the pricing of everyday beverages. [more…]

On February 6, 2023, Wahaha launched a new ready-to-drink coffee product called "Kawei," offering two flavors: Fresh Latte and Raw Coconut Latte, highlighting selling points such as imported milk sources and Arabica beans. This marks Wahaha's re-entry into the ready-to-drink coffee sector after the failure of its Maoyuan Coffee in 2016. However, the current ready-to-drink coffee market is already crowded with giants like Nestlé, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, and Nongfu Spring, and products are highly homogenized. Wahaha's entry at this time puts it years behind its competitors, and the market landscape has long since changed. This article reviews Wahaha's coffee attempts, the company's sales background, and the competitive dynamics of the ready-to-drink coffee market to explore the prospects of "Kawei." [more…]

Coffee is often labeled as a healthy drink, but the sugar problem in ready-to-drink coffee cannot be ignored. According to the British Mirror, Costa, a brand owned by Coca-Cola, has been quietly increasing the sugar content in its pre-packaged coffee, with some products seeing a one-third rise in sugar compared to 2019. Experts point out that this move runs counter to the sugar reduction initiative promoted by the UK government. Meanwhile, countries such as Singapore have introduced measures to restrict advertising for high-sugar drinks, and Chinese consumers have also begun to pay attention to sugar and sugar substitute options in milk tea and coffee. The health risks behind a sweet drink deserve the attention of every coffee lover. [more…]

Suning Xiaodian's first dedicated coffee shop has begun trial operations in Nanjing, marking Suning's official move to step up its presence in the coffee market. The store adopts a "convenience store + coffee" model, offering 27 beverages across five major categories, including coffee, tea drinks, and frozen treats, with prices ranging from 12 yuan to 28 yuan. Leveraging the network advantages of more than 5,000 Suning Xiaodian stores nationwide and operational data within a three-kilometer radius, Suning Coffee has clear competitiveness in customer acquisition and daily operations. This is also Suning's fourth format for expanding coffee consumption scenarios, following vending counters, express delivery, and unmanned self-service machines. As players such as Mengniu, Nongfu Spring, Coca-Cola, Sinopec EasyJoy, and OYO successively enter the market, the battle for the coffee market has gained another variable. [more…]

COSTA, which once opened stores right next to Starbucks and made a high-profile entry into the Chinese market, is now becoming less and less visible in many cities. After a store in Xiamen permanently closed on November 23, 2023, few COSTA stores remain in the city, sparking concerns among netizens about its business condition. Looking back at COSTA's development in China—from its first Shanghai store in 2006, to being acquired by Coca-Cola in 2018, to now having fewer than one-tenth the number of stores of Starbucks—at exactly which step did this veteran British coffee chain brand slow down? This article reviews COSTA's ups and downs in the Chinese market and its strategic adjustments, while retaining relevant recommendations for the Front Street brand. [more…]

Recently, many consumers have noticed that once-affordable milk tea brands have been raising their prices one after another. From Yidiandian to Mixue Bingcheng, and then to CoCo都可, the wave of price increases among mid- to low-end tea beverages has drawn widespread attention. At the same time, Coca-Cola, the ever-green player in the beverage world, has also been rumored to be considering a price hike. Behind this round of price adjustments lie not only the cost pressures brought by the pandemic but also deeper changes facing the tea beverage industry. As consumers become more price-sensitive and competition from mid- to high-end brands intensifies, how tea beverage companies find a balance between quality and cost will be key to determining their future development. [more…]