On a sweltering 40°C day, most people would rather stay cocooned in air-conditioned rooms, yet an unusual queue formed at Suzhou's Yanlord Cangjie Commercial Plaza—outside the nation's first MUJI coffee pop-up store, customers were lining up under the scorching sun, umbrellas in hand. What drew them was not a new matcha product, but two Suzhou-exclusive brand badges. However, the queuing process was nothing short of a "roasting" ordeal, with indoor areas also unable to escape direct sunlight, weakening the air conditioning and leading to frequent complaints about insufficiently cold drinks and ice cream melting in seconds. This pop-up event will continue until November, and those who have already "braved the battle" are advising: if you're not set on the giveaways, it might be better to wait for cooler weather before going. [more…]

In recent years, a new format has emerged in China's coffee market—self-service coffee shops, where consumers pay a fixed fee and can then drink unlimited cups of various freshly brewed coffees, a model much like a craft beer bar. Wuhan's first self-service coffee shop opened with a 22-yuan wristband for all-day unlimited drinking of 6 freshly brewed coffees, and after 5 p.m. it even offers half price, quickly attracting attention on social platforms. Guangzhou had previously also seen a self-service store offering only two kinds of coffee, black and white, with 8 insulated buckets lined up on the bar, dispensing coffee at the press of a button. This type of model focuses on speed, low cost, and a multi-flavor experience, but it also faces shortcomings such as dependence on foot traffic for site selection, difficulty ensuring product quality, and a lack of atmosphere and social attributes. Can self-service coffee truly spread across the country and become a new normal in coffee consumption? This article will explore this in light of examples and industry views. [more…]