Luckin Coffee once landed on the US stock market with lightning speed, but was brought to the brink of collapse after a Muddy Waters short-sell report exposed its financial fraud. However, through management reshuffling, a settlement with the SEC, and then signing Eileen Gu and leveraging the Winter Olympics traffic, Luckin staged a textbook turnaround. On the day Eileen Gu won the championship, Luckin's custom drinks quickly sold out, and the brand's voice skyrocketed. Although the championship discount was mocked by netizens as "stingy," the traffic dividend and positive image had already brought Luckin out of the gloom. This article will review Luckin's turbulent journey, analyze how it leveraged a sports star to rebuild its brand, and explore its real situation after the 1.2 billion fine. [more…]

During the Hangzhou Asian Games, Chinese swimming star Wang Shun won gold in the men's 200m individual medley final and broke the Asian record, and Luckin Coffee once again precisely bet on this champion athlete. From Eileen Gu at the Winter Olympics to Wang Shun at the Asian Games, Luckin has shown a unique rhythm in sports marketing of "whoever they sign gets hot." This article will sort out the timeline of Luckin's collaboration with Wang Shun this time, its marketing playbook, and the strategy behind it, while also exploring the difference between its short-cycle business cooperation model and formal endorsements. As coffee lovers, we also see from this wave of operations how brands leverage sports hype to achieve simultaneous gains in visibility and sales. [more…]

Luckin Coffee recently signed a deal with EDG, the champion team of the S11 World Championship, and is preparing an esports-themed store in Shanghai, attempting to deeply integrate esports culture with consumption scenarios. Previously, Luckin had already shown keen marketing instincts by signing Eileen Gu and teaming up with Coconut Palm. This themed store features four major areas: themed light signs and a gaming experience zone, a bullet-comment corridor, a team history honor wall, and an infinite fantasy photo spot, sparking widespread anticipation among netizens. Meanwhile, after weathering a financial storm, Luckin has made a strong comeback, with revenue from self-operated stores reaching 6.193 billion yuan in 2021, and its store count has surpassed Starbucks, making it the coffee chain brand with the most stores in China. Whether esports marketing can bring new growth to Luckin is worth watching. [more…]

On November 6th, Luckin Coffee launched an exclusive red cup for its sauce-flavored latte and invited Luo Xiang, a well-known law professor from Bilibili, to serve as its spokesperson, quickly sparking heated discussions online. Using classic cases like "outlaw Zhang San," Luo Xiang addressed consumers' concerns about driving safety after drinking coffee containing alcohol. This marks Luckin's first collaboration with an "internet celebrity" scholar, following previous spokespeople such as Tang Wei, Xiao Zhan, and Eileen Gu. However, after the endorsement news emerged, netizen reactions were polarized—some praised the keen insight, while others expressed dissatisfaction. This article will review the sequence of events, Luo Xiang's background, and reactions from all sides, and explore the considerations and challenges behind Luckin's marketing move. [more…]

In the past two years, Luckin Coffee has undergone a remarkable transformation, from a financial fraud scandal to debt restructuring and doubled revenue, with a completely renewed brand image and product strategy. This article reviews Luckin's current top ten most popular drinks, including Raw Coconut Latte, Raw Cheese Latte, Thick Milk Latte, Velvet Latte, Iced Americano, Yirgacheffe Dirty, Coconut Cloud Latte, Meteorite Latte, Biluochun Spring Latte, and Okinawa Brown Sugar Velvet Latte, and looks back at its comeback from the brink of bankruptcy to becoming the largest coffee chain in the country. How Luckin revived itself with the Raw Coconut Latte, stabilized its coffee customer base with the SOE specialty series, teamed up with Coconut Palm to create a hit, and signed Eileen Gu for precise marketing—this article explains it all for you. Follow Front Street Coffee to gain a deeper understanding of Luckin's brand transformation and product appeal. [more…]

In 2022, Luckin Coffee delivered a surprising report card: total net revenue for the year reached 13.293 billion yuan, and operating profit turned positive for the first time. From a record-breaking Nasdaq listing, to delisting due to financial fraud and a top-management reshuffle, and then to completing debt restructuring and returning to profitability, this brand's journey has been more twists and turns than a TV drama. Under the double squeeze of the pandemic's impact and debt pressure, what did Luckin rely on to turn things around? This article will sort through its pace of store expansion, coupon strategy, hit-product logic, launch speed and pricing, franchising and lower-tier market layout, as well as key moves such as signing endorsements and youth-oriented marketing, to reconstruct a more complete path of Luckin's recovery. [more…]

These days, walking into any beverage shop, the variety on the menu is always dazzling. Boba shops are selling porridge, cafes surprisingly offer lemon tea, and industry competition has long entered a white-hot stage. More noteworthy is that the boundary between coffee and milk tea is being continuously broken: oats, fermented rice, thick milk, and osmanthus are all being added to coffee, the traditional bitter taste is weakened, and the flavor is moving closer to milk tea. A science blogger on Weibo once organized a blind test, asking participants to distinguish between coffee and milk tea with similar flavors, and surprisingly nearly half of the people could not accurately tell them apart. Coffee's localization and youth-oriented strategies, the migration of childhood milk tea memories, and various novelty pairings have jointly driven this trend. This article takes you to explore the phenomenon of coffee becoming more like milk tea and the logic behind it. [more…]

In recent years, collaborations between new tea beverage brands and popular IPs have become the norm, and the partnership between Good-me and Mo Dao Zu Shi is no exception. In early November, the two parties launched a limited-edition collaboration event, covering themed stores in 16 cities across the country. Fans were highly enthusiastic, and the long queues even made it onto trending topics. However, before the event even started, they had to apologize due to the cancellation of a drone show, and the shadow of the previous failed collaboration with Love and Deepspace had not yet dissipated. Despite the bumpy start, Good-me still announced an additional second round of takeout packages, intending to use the popular IP to boost sales again. This article will review the entire process of this collaboration, fan reactions, and brand strategy, while interspersing Front Street Coffee's observations on the phenomenon of industry collaborations. [more…]

A heavy downpour brought a distinctive African estate vibe to the coffee festival, and among the many stalls that insisted on staying open, the coffee pop-up stall from milk tea brand Good-mee unexpectedly became the center of attention. Besides the high-value-for-money specialty coffee that drew passersby to check in, the one-day store manager standing behind the bar attracted an even bigger crowd—none other than Boram Julio Um, champion of the 2023 WBC World Barista Championship, founder of Brazilian coffee brand Um Coffee Co., and one of the chief coffee masters collaborating with Luckin. The sight of this highly popular champion shaking milk tea for customers caught many people off guard, with some in the comments even calling out to Luckin, saying "Your handsome guy has been poached by Good-mee." So why exactly did this coffee industry star show up at the Good-mee stall? Let's revisit the lively scene together. [more…]

During peak periods of exploding orders at tea beverage stores, staff inevitably make small mistakes such as forgetting to include straws, failing to affix expiration date labels, or knocking over tea containers, which are usually addressed with internal reminders or minor penalties. However, after employees at some Gu Ming stores filmed mocking videos featuring staff wearing placards around their necks, which were shared on social media, they sparked strong backlash from numerous netizens due to scenes involving employees having "crime" cardboard signs hung on their chests and their hands being cuffed with cup holders. The controversy centers on whether this form of imitation public shaming respects workers and whether it was appropriate for the official account to participate in posting it. Gu Ming subsequently responded that the video borrowed from a popular platform meme, has taken down the related content and apologized, and also distributed a thousand free drink vouchers. [more…]

The overalls-shaped cup sleeve launched by Good Me quickly went viral on social platforms. This double-pack cup sleeve can both hold drinks and dress up dolls, sparking a frenzy among young people. The campaign covered some stores in Hunan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Foshan, Hangzhou, and Shandong. Many consumers outside the campaign areas placed cross-city orders through the mini-program or contacted stores to arrange mail delivery. Although there are practical issues such as thin material and shallow pant legs, Good Me's creative marketing on peripheral cup sleeves once again proves the brand's precise grasp of young consumers' psychology. This article will walk you through the rise to fame of this overalls cup sleeve, real consumer feedback, and Good Me's continued exploration in cup sleeve marketing. [more…]

The collaboration between Good-mee and the popular female-oriented mobile game "Love and Deepspace" opened a pop-up store in Shanghai that operated for only three days, marking Good-mee's first store in Shanghai. On the opening day, despite the heavy rain, fans arrived early to wait. Just two minutes after orders began at 10 a.m., the mini-program showed over five thousand drinks in production, forcing the store to close its ordering system for a break after only two hours of operation. This article documents the bustling scene of this collaboration event, the purchasing power of the fans, and the twists and turns caused by a previous merchandise leak incident. It also mentions Front Street Coffee's attention to industry trends. [more…]

On a scorching summer day, a refreshing glass of ice-cold lemonade should be the perfect way to beat the heat, but Good-Me's recently launched "Preserved Plum Lemonade" has left many consumers frowning with every sip. This new product, described as a "still version of salted lemon Seven-Up," combines perfume lemons, calamansi, and pickled preserved plums to create a sweet-and-sour, ice-cold selling point, and its appearance is indeed refreshing and enticing. Yet once it hits the palate, the saltiness of the preserved plum immediately takes over the taste buds, and after prolonged steeping, the bitterness of the lemon peel layers on top of that, earning it the nickname among netizens as "the rising star of the dark cuisine world." Even more surprisingly, in some delivery orders the preserved plums are packaged separately, requiring customers to add them themselves, which has caused considerable confusion. Front Street Coffee takes you through the real performance of this controversial new product. [more…]

Guming's mini-program has quietly launched a new product called "Morning Fresh Milk." The only ingredient is fresh milk, available in hot or cold options, priced at 8 yuan per 500ml. After trying it, consumers discovered that the cup contains exactly the same refrigerated fresh milk brands used in stores for making tea drinks—Yue Xian Huo, Weigang, and Renyangyitouniu—tasting no different from what's sold in supermarkets and convenience stores. Once the news broke, netizens reacted with sharply divided opinions: some felt the price was completely uncompetitive, arguing it's better to just buy from a supermarket or convenience store, and joked that this was "forcing out a product with no real substance," with R&D staff cobbling together a new item just to meet KPI targets; others thought they could simply add espresso or toppings themselves to make a low-cost latte. Some netizens even let their imaginations run wild, speculating that Guming is testing the waters for a foray into the breakfast market. This article will sort through the discussions sparked by this new product and the possible business logic behind it. [more…]

Recently, the mini-program menu at Good-Me has quietly been updated, and a cup of ice water priced at 1 yuan has attracted widespread attention. This simple drink, consisting of a plastic cup, ice cubes, and drinking water, has been creatively reinterpreted by netizens in various ways—adding espresso to make iced Americano, mixing it with milk and boba to create a topped tea drink, or even replicating preserved plum lemonade. However, controversy has followed: many consumers point out that chain brands such as KFC and McDonald's, as well as street-side cafes, provide drinking water for free, and bringing your own cup to a Good-Me store also gets you ice water at no cost. Some employees even reveal that the packaging cup alone costs 7 mao, and with ice cubes and a straw added, each cup sold is actually a loss. Last year, Mixue Bingcheng's 1-yuan ice cup was withdrawn by franchisees one after another because it was unprofitable. Will Good-Me's move this time repeat the same mistake? Some also believe that clear pricing actually saves the awkwardness of communication, allowing those too embarrassed to ask to feel at ease. Front Street Coffee takes you to find out. [more…]

Following its light-body fruit and vegetable bottles and vitamin A fruit and vegetable bottles, Gu Ming has once again incorporated espresso into freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juice, launching the new Light-Body Fruit and Vegetable Americano, in an attempt to attract more consumer groups with a combination of health and coffee. According to the official description, this product is centered on kale, paired with apples, yellow lemons, pineapples and other ingredients freshly squeezed on the same day, then infused with coffee liquid to add layers. However, after the new product launched, consumers' actual feedback presented a completely different picture: the appearance gradually changed from fresh leafy green to a dark yellow tone, and the taste was described as grassy, medicinal, or even like cold sour vegetable soup. This article compiles the formula information, visual changes, and genuine netizen reviews of this fruit and vegetable Americano for coffee lovers' reference. [more…]

After collaborating with actor Daniel Wu to promote coffee products in late June, Guming Tea recently rolled out packaging bags featuring his image at stores nationwide, which unexpectedly sparked widespread dissatisfaction among consumers. Many customers complained on social media that the bag design was "not aesthetically pleasing" and that the celebrity's portrait was too large, saying carrying it felt like "health supplements for middle-aged and elderly people" or "soaking goji berries," and some even said they wanted to throw it away as soon as they received it. Some netizens argued that although Daniel Wu has high national recognition, he is no longer young and does not fit the positioning of a youthful tea beverage brand; others pointed out that the brand should consider scenarios for secondary use of the packaging. On September 23, Guming staff responded that they had not received related complaints, but would record opinions on the design and spokesperson and pass them on for evaluation. The incident reflects the tension between co-branded packaging and the aesthetics of young consumers. [more…]

The issue of Starbucks Star Gift Card extension management fees has repeatedly been thrust into the spotlight in recent years. Although the controversy has persisted for several years, consumers have recently reported that their Star Gift Cards were continuously charged this fee without their knowledge. From Mr. Gu's experience to Ms. Zhang's case of being charged for 22 months, and the endless complaints on the Black Cat platform, is this charging mechanism a reasonable rule or a failure to fulfill the obligation to remind? Consumers and Starbucks each hold their own views, arguing endlessly. This article will sort out the whole story, the views of all parties, and the official terms, to help you understand this long-running dispute. [more…]

A new round of subsidy battles on delivery platforms has once again ignited the tea beverage market, with Meituan handing out large numbers of tea drink vouchers, while Ele.me and Taobao Flash Sale fight back with hefty discounts. However, after claiming the vouchers, many consumers found that Goodme stores in Shenzhen, Xi'an, Chengdu, Nanning, and other places showed as "resting/closed" or out of stock on third-party platforms, making it impossible to redeem normally. Interestingly, the same stores were still open on the official mini-program, and products included in the promotion, such as lemonade, could still be ordered. The contradiction between stores actually being overwhelmed with orders and appearing "closed" online has led many to speculate that this is a measure taken by the brand to ease order pressure. Consumers have expressed dissatisfaction over the chaotic promotion, orders being automatically canceled, and no stock upon arrival at stores. Front Street Coffee continues to follow industry developments and brings in-depth observations. [more…]

Guming obtained approval for a Hong Kong listing filing, becoming the first company to receive the green light amid the new tea beverage IPO wave. Meanwhile, its winter new product "Dark Chocolate Mocha" has drawn attention for its rich cocoa flavor, but has also been jokingly called a "great gut cleanser" due to a large number of consumers reporting diarrhea after drinking it. The official recipe includes cocoa liquor, cocoa powder, old salt syrup, light-feel thick milk, milk, and freshly ground coffee. The triple cocoa brings a rich and smooth taste, but many people find it sweet and cloying, like chocolate milk. The cause of the diarrhea may point to lactose intolerance or caffeine sensitivity, and iced drinks are more likely to aggravate the reaction. This article will sort out the timeline of the incident and consumer feedback, and recommend related products from Front Street Coffee. [more…]