Nayuki Tea has once again been thrust into the spotlight due to food safety issues. The Market Supervision Administration of Jing'an District, Shanghai, recently imposed a penalty on Nayuki's Shanghai Meilongzhen Plaza store for selling expired grape-flavored cakes to consumers, with a fine of 50,000 yuan. This is not an isolated case—since its listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in June this year, Nayuki's stores have repeatedly been exposed for food safety scandals such as cockroach infestations, spoiled fruit, and excessive bacterial counts. Consequently, its stock price has plummeted from the issue price of HKD 19.80 to around HKD 9, leading to a significant drop in market value. From being the "first stock of new-style tea drinks" to being plagued by negative news, Nayuki's brand reputation is facing a severe test. [more…]

Valentine's Day has always been a key moment for tea and coffee brands to compete for attention, and Nayuki's Tea took the opportunity this year to launch rose-themed limited-edition products, including the Mountain Wild Treasure Tea series and two cute merchandise items. However, after the new products hit the market, they unexpectedly flopped. Many consumers reported that the drinks tasted strange and were hard to swallow, and some even experienced palpitations and an inability to sleep all night after drinking them. What exactly went wrong with this rose milk tea? Was it a mistake in flavor formulation, or was there something hidden in the caffeine content? This article will walk you through the real feedback on Nayuki's Valentine's Day new products and explore why netizens jokingly called it the "new king of insomnia." [more…]

On the first anniversary of Nayuki's listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, it launched a virtual stock game for its 50 million members. Consumers earn 1 Nayuki Coin for every 1 yuan spent, which can be used to buy and sell virtual stocks tied to the rise and fall of real Hong Kong stocks, and even supports leverage of 2x to 10x. Nayuki Coins can also be redeemed for cash coupons, discount vouchers, and merchandise; a MacBook Air requires 200,000 Nayuki Coins. This move has sparked huge controversy. Some lawyers point out that it is essentially a non-circulating token, but the virtual stock trading and leveraged gameplay may involve financial risks such as illegal fundraising. Meanwhile, Nayuki's Hong Kong stock price has fallen all the way from its issue price of HK$19.8, closing at only HK$6.65 on the first anniversary of its listing, a drop of more than 60%. [more…]

This October, "Duck Shit Aroma" milk tea sparked a craze on social media, bringing Chaoshan's Phoenix Dancong tea into the public eye. After Nayuki's Tea seized the trend by launching a Duck Shit Aroma beverage, it then applied to register the trademark "Nayuki Duck Shit Aroma," triggering heated discussion online. Supporters see this as a differentiated brand strategy, while opponents question whether a famous regional tea should be monopolized by a company. In fact, tea beverage brands such as Uncle Qiu had long made Duck Shit Aroma a standard tea base—so is tying a niche ingredient to a commercial brand reasonable? This article walks you through the whole incident and explores the boundary between innovation in the tea beverage industry and trademark protection. [more…]

As competition in the new-style tea beverage sector reaches a fever pitch, Nayuki was the first to list on the capital market, claiming the title of "the first stock of new-style tea drinks" and was once regarded as an industry benchmark. Recently, however, a consumer in Shanghai discovered raw dough that could stretch into strings in a durian bread purchased from Nayuki via delivery. The store explained it as "baked relatively soft," and the refund request was also rejected. This incident quickly fermented on social platforms and once again brought Nayuki's past food safety issues back into the public eye—from expired milk and rotten fruit to chaotic kitchen practices, what has happened to this brand with a halo over its head? [more…]

Nayuki, once hailed as the "first stock of new-style tea drinks," has delivered a less-than-stellar half-year report card: revenue dipped slightly year-on-year, and after adjustments, it swung from profit to loss. Facing multiple pressures—questions over price cuts, the impact of the pandemic, and competition from peers—Nayuki has begun setting its sights on the coffee track, seeking new growth points by investing in brands like AOKKA. Meanwhile, brands such as Heytea and Chayan Yuese are also making their own moves to save themselves. Is the collective push by new tea drink brands into coffee a move of desperation or a new trend? This article reviews Nayuki's latest performance and investment moves, and takes stock of the self-rescue paths within the industry. [more…]

Duck Shit Fragrance—the name sounds rather unconventional, yet it is a highly sought-after variety of Phoenix Dan Cong. It doesn't actually have a duck feces smell; instead, it is famous for its rich fruity aroma. This article will use the Duck Shit Fragrance from the veteran Chaozhou tea factory Nanfu as a reference, comparing it with Naixue's Duck Shit Fragrance Dan Cong to explore which one has a more intense aroma. The article will also introduce the specific characteristics of two Phoenix Dan Cong Duck Shit Fragrance teas from 2017 and 2020, including origin, altitude, tree age, and flavor descriptions, taking you deeper into this strangely named yet highly charming tea. At the same time, Front Street Coffee will also recommend related products for you. [more…]

The new-style tea beverage industry has once again exposed food safety issues. Naxue's Tea's Shanghai East Changzhi Road store was fined and had its illegal gains confiscated by the Hongkou District Market Supervision Administration because the freshly made and sold Golden Mountain Treasure Tea exceeded the total bacterial count limit. Before this, the brand had already been exposed by the media multiple times for chaotic store hygiene, even alarming the State Administration for Market Regulation. From Xinhua reporters' undercover investigations to tea beverage brands frequently trending on social media across various regions, consumers pay high prices but do not necessarily receive matching safety guarantees. This article will sort out the ins and outs of this penalty, review the food safety crisis Naxue's Tea encountered this year, and ask: after tea beverage brands apologize, compensate, and rectify, have the fundamental problems actually been solved? [more…]

Freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable teas have become the new trend in the tea beverage industry, with ingredients such as kale, carrots, and beetroot being widely used. While consumers are paying for health, some have found mud and sand in Nayuki drinks. A customer discovered stains remaining on the decorative kale leaves at the bottom of the "Slim Little Green Bottle" cup, and after wiping the stem with a tissue, obvious mud and sand were visible. The post attracted a great deal of attention, and some netizens claiming to be Nayuki employees left comments revealing that stores are short-staffed and the washing of fruits and vegetables is perfunctory. Behind the genuine ingredients of fruit and vegetable teas, food safety issues are cause for concern. [more…]

Recently, Nayuki launched "Unsweetened · Nayuki Black Grape," promoted as having 0 added sugar with all sweetness coming from fruit, yet it drew complaints from consumers for being too sweet. The brand replaced sucrose with apple juice, but concentrated apple juice can have a sugar content exceeding 50, meaning the actual sugar content of the entire drink is not low. This approach is similar to the strategy some brands use of hiding additives in ingredients, maintaining sweetness while preserving the "healthy" selling point. Consumers' impression of juice as naturally burden-free is being exploited, while the risk of blood sugar spikes remains. This article sorts out the ins and outs of the incident and includes related product information from Front Street Coffee, exploring the trade-off tea beverage brands face between taste and health. [more…]

A hit drink from Nayuki, the "Nayuki Slim Little Green Bottle," sparked discussion due to a line of small print in its product details. In the official explanation, "slim, light" refers to the new square bottle shape being slimmer and more portable, not to the drink having any functional benefits. Many consumers had assumed it was a fruit-and-vegetable tea suitable for people trying to lose weight, and were taken aback after learning the truth. This kind of situation is not an isolated case—fruit-and-vegetable drinks from brands such as Good-meh and Luckin also often use "body-slimming" and "light-body" as selling points, then add clarifying small print. How many calories are actually in a cup of kale drink? The gap between merchants' marketing and consumers' understanding deserves the attention of every coffee and tea lover. [more…]

Nayuki launched a collaboration with Japanese virtual singer Hatsune Miku, releasing a theme song, limited-edition drinks, and merchandise, attracting a large number of fans to visit stores and check in. However, some store employees cosplayed as Hatsune Miku in exaggerated ways, such as wearing masked headpieces, and were jokingly called by netizens "the century's meeting of the realist and abstract schools," sparking heated discussion. The brand subsequently issued an urgent notice strictly prohibiting employees from cosplaying as Hatsune Miku again, believing that such behavior damages the brand image and may invite complaints. But many fans said they were not offended and instead found it amusing. This collaboration controversy reflects the delicate balance between employees' individualized expression and brand management when tea beverage brands cooperate with ACG IPs. [more…]

The Naixue store in the sunken plaza of Guangzhou Tianhuan Plaza was quietly withdrawn without any prior announcement. The orange-pink signboard was removed, and advertising fabric was pasted on the floor-to-ceiling glass, leaving many regular customers astonished. This Naixue PRO store, which opened in May 2021, was the first PRO store on the central axis of Guangzhou's CBD. In addition to regular tea drinks, it also offered coffee, baked goods, and snack merchandise, and had long served as a showcase for the brand's co-branded theme stores. After operating for more than four years with stable customer flow and continuous events, it suddenly disappeared one day, sparking various consumer speculations about the reason for the closure and drawing renewed attention to Naixue's ongoing trend of store contraction in recent years. [more…]

The largest flagship store "Nayuki Life," created by Nayuki in Shenzhen Coastal City, has recently been obscured by hoarding, confirming that it has quietly withdrawn, and the original site will be taken over by Pop Mart. The store was formerly the world's largest flagship store "Nayuki Dream Factory," launched in 2019 at a cost of 20 million yuan, covering 1,000 square meters and offering a diverse range of products including baked goods, tea drinks, coffee, craft beer, Western cuisine, and retail. After the Dream Factory closed in May 2022, "Nayuki Life" debuted in August of the same year with a new model. Although it retained a bookstore and coffee brand collaboration, it canceled food and alcohol services. Nearby residents reported that the store did brisk business on weekdays and was packed on holidays, and its sudden closure has surprised many. Official customer service responded that the lease expired and was not renewed, and there is no news yet on whether a store will be opened at another location. Meanwhile, reports of Nayuki store closures have also emerged in Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Nanchang, and other places. [more…]

During Halloween, major tea beverage brands have rolled out holiday-exclusive drinks to compete for young consumers. Nayuki has partnered with "Harry Potter" for a second time, launching a "Sugar-Free Blood Orange and Grapefruit" drink themed around Voldemort's "Dark Magic." However, this beverage, which uses blood orange and grapefruit to create a "blood-colored" atmosphere, has drawn complaints from consumers because the grapefruit peel was not removed, and the bitterness intensifies after prolonged steeping. Fans reported that the drink gets more bitter the more they sip, with some describing it as "more bitter than Americano." Nayuki staff explained that the grapefruit peel is kept to show the use of real ingredients, and advised drinking it as soon as possible or picking out the peel oneself. Nevertheless, some fans of the books took the bitterness in stride, saying it fits the Dark Magic theme. [more…]

Nayuki recently launched a new product, the "Double-Antioxidant Little Red Bottle," featuring freshly squeezed Yunnan tree tomatoes paired with blueberries, cherry tomatoes, lemons, and other fresh fruits. It is advertised as sweet and tangy, rich in vitamin C and lycopene. However, not long after its release, the first wave of curious consumers began complaining: a large amount of fruit peel and seeds settles at the bottom of the cup, and one sip fills your mouth with grit—some people even nearly choked on a lemon seed. Staff responded that filtering the fruit puree was not required during preparation, and the final product varies due to differences in technique. Interestingly, netizens are divided on the issue—some suggest adding a filtration step, while others believe the fruit residue is precisely proof of "genuine ingredients." Behind this controversy lies the challenge of balancing taste and health in fruit-and-vegetable teas. [more…]

The "Daily 500 Fruits & Vegetables" series recently promoted by Nayuki has sparked heated discussion on social platforms, but unexpectedly, what really catches the eye is not the flavor of the drinks, but the square packaging cups specially designed by the brand for this series. This cup, with its square shape, PP5 material, and white sealed lid, quickly became popular because of its combination of good looks and practicality, and at one point there was even a situation where "the cup is more popular than the product." Many consumers noted in their orders that they wanted the square cup, and store employees were once happy to oblige. However, as demand surged, the brand headquarters began to standardize material supply. Now, if you want a square cup, you can only pay extra through the official mini-program to upgrade the cup type. The once-circulated "note request for a free square cup" hack has completely stopped working. This article sorts out the ins and outs behind this phenomenon and explores how brands can balance material control with consumer expectations. [more…]

The first product in Naixue's newly launched "Daily 500 Fruit & Veggie Bottle" series, "Slim Little Green Bottle," focuses on the daily 500g fruit and vegetable ratio recommended by the Chinese Nutrition Society, and claims to have no added sugar and to be freshly squeezed to order. After hitting the market, however, quite a few consumers reported that it tasted noticeably sweet, with some even describing it as "syrup-like," and others posted photos showing the drink looking yellowish, questioning whether it was really freshly squeezed. Naixue employees responded on social media that the sweetness comes from fruits such as apples, pears, and sweet oranges that naturally contain sugar, while the yellow-green color is a normal phenomenon after apples oxidize, and stressed that all ingredients are processed the same day and kept refrigerated for a limited time. The controversy also sparked playful online discussion about the kale leaves at the bottom of the cup. [more…]

Nayuki launched limited-edition plush dolls for its ninth-anniversary birthday season, attracting a large number of fans to snap them up. However, after a consumer put a newly bought grape plush into the washing machine to clean it, the doll fell apart completely, turning from a whole bunch into scattered individual "grapes." This was not an isolated case; several other users also reported that parts fell off the plush after washing and drying. The reason is that these dolls are bonded with hot-melt adhesive rather than sewn, and the label clearly states they must not be washed in water. In addition, some consumers received "hidden edition" dolls with missing or incorrect facial expressions, sparking widespread dissatisfaction with the quality control of the merchandise. [more…]

Recently, a social media user alleged that Nayuki is about to face a wave of store closures in Taizhou, Zhejiang, and the news quickly sparked widespread discussion. According to Nayuki's official Q3 2024 operational report, the brand closed a total of 89 directly operated stores during the quarter. Although it opened 23 new directly operated stores and 56 franchise stores in the same period, its overall store count still shrank by 10. Compared with Heytea, which has already reached 4,417 stores, Nayuki's pace of expansion has clearly slowed. The company said it will adopt a more prudent store expansion strategy and optimize the performance of existing directly operated stores, but many consumers have reported issues such as declining product quality control and baked bread being switched from freshly baked to pre-made products, raising concerns about the brand's prospects. This article will examine Nayuki's current operational challenges from two dimensions: data and consumer feedback. [more…]