Recently, news that Luckin Coffee is about to join Meituan's Pinhaofan has been circulating on social platforms, making many Luckin store employees nervous and uneasy. Pinhaofan is a group-ordering service launched by Meituan Takeaway, allowing users to buy drinks and meals at prices far below market rates, and is jokingly called the Pinduoduo of the food delivery world. If Luckin really joins, the already cheap 9.9 yuan coffee could drop even further, which is naturally good news for consumers, but store employees worry about the staffing pressure caused by a surge in orders. At present, employees in different regions give differing accounts; Xiamen stores are said to have quietly begun trial operations, with sales clearly rising, but overtime problems have followed. [more…]