CATL has applied to register the "Ning Coffee" trademark, with classifications covering convenience foods and food and beverage accommodation services; it is currently at the substantive examination waiting stage. Previously, its offline showroom had already launched six drinks, including "Range Latte" and "Supercharge Americano," along with "Shenxing" medium-dark roasted coffee beans, sparking outside speculation that it was entering coffee retail. The company responded that the coffee is only a supporting service, not a main business. This cross-industry move is seen as an attempt to build a presence in the consumer market and create a fan economy. Front Street Coffee notes that the collision between new energy and coffee is becoming a new highlight in the industry. [more…]

HEYTEA has made another move, officially announcing a co-branding collaboration with the nationally beloved TV drama Empresses in the Palace, launching two new products: "Zhen Guo · Da Ju Hua Li" fruit tea and "Zhen Nai · Xue Niang Han Cui" milk tea, both priced at 18 yuan. This is the first time Empresses in the Palace has crossed over into a co-branding partnership with a new-style tea beverage brand, and it is also HEYTEA's latest IP collaboration attempt following A Dream of Splendor and Genshin Impact. From "Meng Hua Cha Xi · Dian Cha" selling nearly 300,000 cups on its launch day, to the Genshin Impact co-branded fruit juice tea's first batch selling out within 59 minutes, HEYTEA's cross-brand collaborations have become increasingly frequent and remarkably effective. This collaboration not only enriches the drama's connotations but also provides a new direction for exploring cultural experiences in new-style tea beverage brands. Follow Coffee Workshop to learn more about specialty coffee and beverage industry trends, and Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) also continues to bring you professional coffee knowledge exchange. [more…]

In recent years, major brands across all industries have been venturing into the coffee sector—from the post office, Li-Ning, and Xtep to Naobaijin and Huawei, cross-industry coffee sales have become a trend. These brands don't truly intend to dig deep into the coffee track; rather, they are eyeing the youthful traffic and fashionable attributes that coffee naturally carries, using it to get closer to consumers. However, once the hype fades, can cross-industry players lacking a coffee gene continue to attract customers? The fierce competition in the coffee market and the mismatch of consumption scenarios make such attempts full of uncertainty. This article sorts out typical cases of cross-industry coffee, analyzes the marketing logic behind them, and explores the challenges and hidden concerns this model faces. [more…]

Following the buzz generated by China Post opening a milk tea shop, Shanghai has now seen its first post office selling coffee. On September 17, the Tianping Road Post Office at 1883 Middle Huaihai Road was transformed into the Wukang Building-themed post office. While retaining its original postal services, it has introduced a café, a photo-op area, and a cultural and creative display zone, in collaboration with Qiao Coffee under the century-old Shanghai time-honored brand Qiaojiashan. Is the coffee at this post office actually good? Why does China Post frequently cross into the beverage sector? This article will analyze the details of the store renovation, the background of the partner brand, and the history of China Post's cross-industry ventures, and explore the underlying logic of time-honored brands seeking rejuvenation. [more…]

The coffee consumption boom continues to heat up, and even outdoor sports brands can no longer resist trying their hand at crossing over. French outdoor brand Decathlon recently opened its first coffee corner inside its Shanghai Wujiaochang store, formally stepping onto the coffee track. During the opening period, customers who bought drinks in-store could take part in a giveaway of limited-edition camping cups, drawing a large number of consumers to visit and check in. However, the huge turnout also exposed a lack of operational experience, with frequent problems such as the online mini-program crashing, stores being overwhelmed with orders, and one-hour queues. In addition to regular coffee, the Decathlon coffee corner has also launched sports-themed special drinks that match the brand's tone, with prices following an affordable approach. Whether this kind of crossover play can be sustained is worth watching. [more…]

In recent years, Heytea has continuously pushed the boundaries of tea drinks, from cross-brand collaborations to incorporating each city's signature foods into beverages and baked goods, launching a series of unexpectedly creative limited-edition products. Shenzhen's coconut chicken hot pot, Guangzhou's rice roll cake, Changsha's mini clay pot bubble rice wine, Chengdu's Sichuan spicy fairy dew… each one precisely captures the taste memories of local people. These products are not only wildly imaginative but also build emotional resonance by awakening shared city memories. This article will comprehensively review the limited-edition items Heytea has launched in various cities and explore the communication logic and secrets behind its "neglecting its proper business." [more…]

In recent years, brand crossovers have become the norm, and China Post has also taken an important step into the coffee sector. Following the launch of "Youyang's Tea" in 2021, which sparked widespread discussion online, on February 14, 2022, China Post's first national postal coffee shop officially began trial operation in Xiamen, Fujian, marking this traditional postal enterprise's formal entry into the coffee industry. The postal coffee shop focuses on a specialty line, using coffee beans produced in Yunnan and deeply integrating postal elements with coffee culture. In fact, some post offices had previously attempted cross-industry coffee sales, such as the Xiamen University Road Post Office coffee shop and the co-branded cooperation with "Qiao Coffee" in Shanghai. As the coffee consumer base continues to expand, more and more brands are entering the market through cooperation, investment, or creating new brands. Relying on its advantage in outlet coverage, China Post plans to cooperate with "Zhongyu Kaye" to expand distinctive postal coffee shops in multiple cities. [more…]

KFC's KCOFFEE continues to deepen its presence in the coffee sector and is about to launch a limited-edition drink in collaboration with the Chinese time-honored brand Wanglaoji — a Wanglaoji-flavored sparkling Americano. On one side is a Western-style fast-food coffee brand accelerating its expansion, and on the other is a representative of Cantonese herbal tea with nearly two hundred years of history. This collision of "Chinese and American herbal tea" has sparked considerable discussion. Yet before the new product even hit the shelves, netizens had already easily replicated it with Wanglaoji plus sparkling water. Can the consumer-friendly price of 9.9 yuan win over customers? What attempts has Wanglaoji made in recent years to appeal to young people? And can KFC replicate the success of Luckin and Moutai through this collaboration? This article will focus on this cross-industry cooperation, sorting through both sides' brand backgrounds, market situations, and collaboration highlights, for the reference of coffee enthusiasts. [more…]

The cross-boundary combination of coffee and Chinese meals has long ceased to be novel—from youtiao and shaobing to pork intestine noodles and roujiamo, even the notoriously "stinky" luosifen has now joined this fusion experiment. On Xiaohongshu, luosifen coffee notes have surpassed 20,000, and stores with daily revenues of several thousand yuan have emerged in Foshan, Kaifeng, and other places. Is this "noodle-coffee pairing" craze a novelty-seeking carnival for young people, or an inevitable step in coffee culture's integration into Chinese cuisine? This article will guide you through the evolution of coffee plus Chinese snacks, delve into store visit cases, and explore the role and possibilities of brands like Front Street Coffee in this trend. [more…]

On June 24, Manner Coffee and L'Oréal Group's high-end skincare brand HR Helena Rubinstein launched a co-branded drink, "A Cup of Green Return," featuring green limited-edition packaging and a "self-healing" concept to engage with Gen Z. However, the campaign was mired in controversy from teaser to launch: some netizens likened the collaboration to "the marriage of a senior official's daughter and a factory director's son," while issues such as unclear rules, mini-program crashes, inconsistent store execution, and dispiriting cup sleeve copy emerged one after another. Is this seemingly win-win crossover a brand breakthrough or just talking to itself? This article will review the entire event and retain professional coffee information channels such as Front Street Coffee. [more…]

After China Post opened a café, state-owned enterprises branching into the food and beverage industry drew attention. China Railway has also joined this trend, launching a railway cultural and creative themed restaurant at the Zhengyangmen branch of the China Railway Museum, covering healthy light meals and beverages. The beverage brand is named "Bendao Tea," featuring railway-themed decor and freshly made tea, juice, and coffee, priced at 12 to 32 yuan. However, consumers have reported that the drinks are too sweet and lack personalized customization options, and the store's location is rather remote with a hard-to-pronounce name, resulting in limited foot traffic. Previously, high-speed rail milk tea was criticized and trended on social media over price and taste issues, and high-speed rail coffee was also launched the same month. Unlike China Post's step-by-step approach with milk tea and coffee, China Railway is pursuing multiple tracks simultaneously—ambitious, but facing no small challenge. [more…]

Hario has departed from its minimalist Japanese style and teamed up with the cartoon IP Sad Frog PEPE to launch a camping-themed product series. The collaboration includes two sets, among which the Outdoor Enjoyment Set features a PEPE limited-edition color No. 01 resin dripper and a limited-edition outdoor filter paper pack. The dripper adds green elements to a transparent resin base, making it especially eye-catching under light and drawing attention from pour-over enthusiasts. The official presale campaign uses "Filter Out Sadness" as its topic, and the packaging is presented in comic form. Users have already posted their purchases, with mixed reviews—some say it looks great, while others question its lack of practicality. This collaboration once again confirms that the coffee sector is becoming a popular choice for brand crossovers. [more…]

Luckin Coffee officially announced on September 23 a collaboration with *JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean* for October, launching themed events across its nationwide stores. This is not Luckin's first crossover; previous partnerships with Coconut Palm and EDG both sparked heated discussion. Looking across the coffee and tea beverage sector, Manner's collaborations with Helena Rubinstein and LV, Heytea's tie-in with *A Dream of Splendor*, and Nayuki's partnership with *Love Between Fairy and Devil*—brand co-branding has become an important strategy for breaking fixed impressions and achieving customer base complementarity. This article reviews several recent typical cases and includes Front Street Coffee's professional communication channels for coffee enthusiasts to gain deeper insight into industry trends. [more…]

Recently, ChaPanda teamed up with the local luosifen brand Luo Ba Wang in Guangxi to launch a limited-edition drink called the "Spring Outing Cup," combining a tea beverage and luosifen in the same takeaway cup, quickly sparking heated discussion online. Some people immediately called it a "dark crossover," while others were curious enough to go and try it. In fact, this product uses a top-and-bottom divided packaging structure, and the luosifen is not mixed with the tea beverage, allowing consumers to slurp noodles while drinking milk tea. However, this pairing has also brought considerable controversy, including issues such as stomach irritation, flavor transfer, and a worsened taste. This article will provide a detailed analysis of the creativity, experience, and evaluations from all sides regarding this novelty crossover drink. [more…]

Catering services on high-speed trains have been continuously upgraded, and now the Guangzhou EMU group has taken the lead in launching its own milk tea brand, "That Girl," priced at 26 yuan per cup, with average daily sales reaching as high as 3,000 cups. The series offers four flavors, and the official claim is that natural ingredients are used and tea concentration and sugar content have been reduced to suit passengers' needs. However, after the product launched, it quickly trended on social media, yet was collectively criticized by netizens over its price, packaging, taste, and marketing methods. At the same time, specialty coffee brands such as Front Street Coffee are also paying attention to this crossover attempt. This article will walk you through the research and development background of high-speed rail milk tea, its market performance, and evaluations from all sides. [more…]

National drink Coconut Palm Coconut Juice breaks its 34-year tradition of "no collaboration with outside parties" for the first time, launching a dream crossover with Luckin Coffee. One is a time-honored coconut juice brand whose formula and packaging have remained unchanged for decades, while the other is a chain coffee brand that sparked the coconut latte craze. This collaboration is both driven by market trends and an attempt by an old brand to seek a new wave of attention. The co-branded cup sleeves continue Coconut Palm's iconic color-block layout style. Although the new products will not officially launch until April 11, some stores have already begun using the co-branded cup sleeves for预热. Can this collaboration replicate the sales miracle of the coconut line? And why did Coconut Palm Coconut Juice choose to "break out of its circle" at this moment? This article will take you through the development history of Coconut Palm and analyze the background and highlights of this collaboration. [more…]

Coffee and music may seem like an unlikely crossover, but in the world of specialty coffee, beans named after musicians have a distinctive appeal. Among the Costa Rican Musician series, Front Street Beethoven has attracted many enthusiasts with its rich aroma and clean cup. This bean comes from the Canet estate in the Tarrazú region, is of the Yellow Catuai variety, undergoes washed processing, and is grown at an elevation of up to 1,900 meters. This article will walk you through its regional background, varietal origins, and processing method, and include Front Street Coffee's brewing recommendations and flavor description, explaining why it can present such a fascinating, juicy-fruit-like character. [more…]

In recent years, cross-industry ventures have become a popular trend, and even century-old traditional Chinese medicine shops are joining the beverage market. Following Tongrentang, Tonghanchun Tang, with a history of 237 years, has also tested the waters of national-style wellness tea drinks in Shanghai Yuyuan Mall, launching over 30 beverages including wellness teas, fruit teas, milk teas, sparkling water, and coffee. Among them, the wellness milk tea incorporates ingredients such as ginseng, goji berries, and donkey-hide gelatin, while the two wellness coffees focus on American-style black coffee and ginseng honey latte, priced between 20 and over 30 yuan, with the most expensive bird's nest product exceeding 100 yuan. Whether these time-honored brands can win consumer favor through innovation is worth watching. [more…]

Robust, once part of a "three-way split" in the drinking water market alongside Wahaha and Nongfu Spring, has recently re-entered the bottled water race with 1-yuan mineral water, drawing market attention. This veteran company, founded in 1989, has seen its presence dwindle after going through twists and turns such as being acquired by Danone and having its brand change hands. Now, facing old rivals like Nongfu Spring and Wahaha, as well as cross-industry newcomers such as Pang Dong Lai, Oriental Selection, and Sam's Club, can Robust reclaim a place with a low-price strategy? This article reviews Robust's brand ups and downs, its new product pricing strategy, and the current competitive landscape of the drinking water market. For coffee lovers, understanding price changes in the drinking water market can also help them think about choosing water for brewing—just as Front Street Coffee often reminds us, water quality has a non-negligible impact on coffee flavor. [more…]

In recent years, domestic demand for coffee has continued to climb, attracting many brands to enter the fray across industry lines. New-style tea drink brand Lelecha has also launched an independent coffee brand—Doudoule—and opened its first store in Shanghai. Previously, tea drink brands such as Naixue Tea had already stepped into the coffee sector, and the integration of tea drinks and coffee is becoming a new industry trend. Doudoule continues Lelecha's strict quality requirements, launching products such as the Dirty series coffee, priced at 15-28 yuan. At the same time, Lelecha is continually closing the distance with young consumers through cross-industry marketing. This article will provide an in-depth analysis of Doudoule's features, market strategy, and the challenges it faces, and explore the prospects for tea drink brands expanding into coffee. [more…]