On the evening of August 5th, Sexy Tea (Chayan Yuese) hit the top of the trending searches due to its rule of "not supporting two people queuing simultaneously for ordering and picking up," with reads reaching 300 million times, sparking intense discussions among netizens. Many consumers questioned that this "standing punishment" queuing was actually hunger marketing, intended to extend customers' stay in the store and create a false impression of a bustling business. In fact, this is not the first time the brand has trended for its queuing rules—at the beginning of the year, some stores required customers to wait on-site after ordering, and leaving meant having to re-queue, and they even closed the mini-program ordering. Some customers reported that a single person had to complete two queues alone, while those with companions could split up, causing those who ordered first to wait longer. The brand had publicly apologized for this, stating that the adjustment was originally intended to enhance the consumption experience and drink taste. This article sorts out the context of the incident and various viewpoints, and includes related recommendations from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

The opening of two Tea Yanyuese stores in Nanjing triggered a queueing frenzy, forcing the closure of subway entrances and exits, drinks sold out in five minutes, scalpers reselling at high prices, and even riot police being called in to maintain order. Faced with questions over hiring people to queue and reselling hype, Tea Yanyuese issued an apology and promised purchase limits; however, two hours later Sina Finance published an investigative article pointing directly at the agency-buying queues as a premeditated false prosperity. Is this uproar down to brand appeal or marketing tricks? With the pandemic not yet subsided, what hidden dangers does gathering in queues bring? This article sorts through the whole incident and explores the queue economy and public order issues behind internet-famous tea brands. [more…]

Lin Junjie's coffee brand Miracle Coffee recently restarted in mainland China, with its first pop-up store opening on Qixi Festival on the 1st floor of Huacai Tiandi in Hexi, Nanjing. Although it is only a pop-up format, fan enthusiasm has not diminished. On the first day of opening, a long queue formed before business hours, with waiting times generally 2 to 3 hours during peak periods, and some even waited 5 to 6 hours to successfully check in. The production team for this Miracle Coffee is the champion-level brand S.O. The official Nanjing store has also begun renovation and is expected to open at the end of September, when Lin Junjie is expected to appear in person. [more…]

On December 16, Tims China opened its first store in Nanning, Guangxi, launching opening promotions such as buy-one-get-one-free, adding 1 yuan for a Farmer's Wrap, and giving away limited-edition cups, attracting a large number of consumers to line up in cold weather. The queue began gathering at 7 a.m., and number tickets were distributed within 20 minutes, sparking netizens' doubts about "paid stand-ins." This article reviews the promotion rules, the on-site queue situation, netizens' comments, and similar marketing phenomena by brands in non-first-tier cities, along with related recommendations from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

A 10-yuan drink made by mixing three sticks of Nescafe instant coffee powder with hot water has unexpectedly turned a small sugarcane juice shop in Nanjing that has been around for more than 30 years into an online sensation. Singer Guang Liang was recently spotted queuing outside the shop to buy one, pushing the topic onto trending searches. With the brand supplying free stock, media outlets rushing to report, and celebrities showing up to check in, why exactly has this literally "hand-brewed coffee" become a traffic magnet? Is it the appeal of good quality at a low price, or a bandwagon trend on social platforms? This article walks you through the course of events and explores the consumer psychology and coffee culture phenomenon behind it. [more…]

Starbucks partnered with Stayreal, the streetwear brand co-founded by Mayday lead singer Ashin and Taiwanese artist No2Good, instantly igniting the enthusiasm of the band's fans and netizens alike. The online limited-edition themed cups were snapped up by tens of thousands of people the moment they went on sale, with the official app and mini-program lagging due to overwhelming traffic. Some users failed to complete payment and missed out on the cups they wanted, sparking complaints. Meanwhile, the limited-edition Starbucks gift sets released at physical stores, thanks to their relatively low threshold for acquisition, attracted a large number of fans who queued up with stools in the early hours of the morning. This collaboration craze showcased the fans' frenzy while also exposing the inadequate capacity of online channels and the controversy over offline queuing rules. [more…]

On a cold, windy weekend morning—the kind of day meant for sleeping in until you wake up naturally—hundreds of people were already queuing for hundreds of meters outside Manner stores in several cities across China before dawn. Seven Gingerbread Man–themed stores in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Nanjing, Hangzhou, and elsewhere attracted a large crowd of young people to get up early and endure the cold by offering a 9ml Jo Malone perfume and a Christmas badge with the purchase of a new coffee. The queue at the Shanghai Xuhui Binjiang store was the most spectacular: some people got up at 6 a.m. and arrived at 7 a.m., and by the time the store opened at 9 a.m., the line had already reached number 300. What exactly is the magic of this collaboration that makes young people willing to wait two or three hours in the freezing 0°C wind? Let’s take a closer look. [more…]

Chagee has recently opened new stores in Hainan, Fujian, Guangdong and other places, launching a 9.9 yuan promotional offer that has attracted large numbers of consumers to line up to buy. However, many customers who ordered in advance through the mini-program still encountered a second queue when picking up their drinks at the store. Employees at some stores did not check the pickup codes and distributed drinks on a first-come, first-served basis, causing chaos at the pickup scene. Consumers complained that what was supposed to save time turned into waiting in line for more than half an hour, an experience inconsistent with the official claim of "pick up in store without queuing." Long-time users were not surprised by this phenomenon, believing that low-priced promotional items are made in concentrated batches and that employees ignore pickup codes and taste notes in order to improve efficiency. But most netizens are worried that this move will affect the brand's image, and some even speculate whether it is done intentionally to create a bustling scene. [more…]

On the day its first Nanjing store opened, Cha Yan Yue Se shot to the top of trending searches because of the sheer number of people queuing and scalpers driving the price up to 200 yuan a cup. The Xinjiekou store was forced to close, while the Jiangning Jingfeng store remained open. The brand revealed that it plans to open five stores in Nanjing in the future, while market regulators made clear that scalping on behalf of buyers is illegal. This article reviews Cha Yan Yue Se's expansion trajectory in cities such as Changsha and Shenzhen, compares it with the development paths of similar brands such as Nayuki, and explores the balancing challenge facing internet-famous tea drinks among quality control, supply chains, and consumer rationality. [more…]

Blue Bottle Coffee's first mainland China store—Shanghai Yutong Store—went from a phenomenon-level check-in spot with seven-hour queues on opening day to announcing a temporary closure in response to epidemic prevention and control measures. What was the process like? This article reviews the changes in customer flow since the store opened, adjustments to epidemic prevention measures, and the development of Shanghai's current round of the epidemic. As a brand widely regarded as the "textbook" example in the specialty coffee field, Blue Bottle's temporary farewell this time has left many coffee lovers feeling regretful. In the face of the epidemic, health always comes first, and we will continue to follow updates on its reopening. [more…]

Shanghai, known as the "Coffee Capital," always attracts a large crowd of coffee lovers eager to check in at coffee festivals. However, a recent coffee event held in a park left many people with mixed feelings: entry queues exceeded an hour, the venue was packed like the Spring Festival travel rush, mobile signal was so poor that payments couldn't be made, and some specialty coffee prices were seen as steep by visitors. At the same time, some "freebie hunters" who weren't there for the coffee crowded around to collect giveaways, adding to the headaches of vendors and queuing consumers. Longtime enthusiasts lamented that the coffee festival is getting livelier and more commercialized, but that sense of ease and the true essence of coffee seem to be fading. [more…]

Specialty coffee brand Blue Bottle recently brought a grayish-white coffee truck bearing the brand's logo to the shores of West Lake in Hangzhou, planning to stay for three months. On the first official day of operation, consumers queued for about an hour in the cold wind to receive limited-edition small gifts and take photos with the retro coffee truck; however, just one day later, the bustling queue noticeably faded. The truck's limited menu is priced from 28 to 58 yuan, close to in-store prices, yet it cannot provide comfortable seating, prompting some consumers to question its value for money. Looking back at the controversy over its previous co-branded pop-up in Beijing, as well as the positive response to its Shenzhen pop-up store, Blue Bottle's Hangzhou pop-up model this time seems to face more scrutiny. Online speculation suggests this move may be to build hype for a future Hangzhou store, but the company has not yet disclosed any related plans. [more…]

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…]

During the May Day holiday, Mixue Bingcheng's headquarters in Zhengzhou, Henan unexpectedly became a popular check-in spot for tourists, with long queues forming outside the flagship store for three consecutive days, and visitors heading straight there with their suitcases. The limited-edition drinks and ice cream sold at the headquarters were affordably priced, attracting a large number of fans eager to experience the atmosphere of the "Snow King's" hometown. However, foot traffic far exceeded expectations, and some customers who had queued for hours found products sold out, while picking up orders and paying also required long waits. This sudden check-in frenzy showcased Mixue Bingcheng's immense popularity nationwide, but also exposed the brand's shortcomings in holiday inventory reserves and staffing arrangements. [more…]

The chain coffee brand Peet's opened its first store in Northwest China at Xi'an Daduhui, drawing a large crowd of fans who lined up early in the morning on opening day. What attracted the crowd was not just the title of "first regional store," but also limited-edition city-exclusive fridge magnets, enamel cups, and kraft paper backpacks and other merchandise. The number of people queuing on site was so large that the line curved around twice, and customers generally had to wait about two hours to enter the store. The store has not yet opened an online ordering channel and only supports orders at the bar, which has affected efficiency to some extent. Peet's plans to open a total of three stores in Xi'an, with subsequent stores to appear one after another. However, some consumers and enthusiasts remain wait-and-see about the brand's long-term performance in the inland market, believing that high-priced products may face challenges in the current consumption environment. [more…]

After the opening of Blue Bottle Coffee's first Shanghai store, phenomena such as queuing for hours, purchase limits driving up prices, and scalper prices soaring above 150 yuan drew widespread attention. This brand, hailed as the "Apple of the coffee world," attracted large numbers of young people to brave the cold wind and check in, relying on its minimalist design and accumulated reputation. Starting from psychological mechanisms such as herd behavior and the labeling effect, this article analyzes the motivations behind the check-in craze at internet-famous coffee shops, while also exploring the costs in time, energy, and money, as well as derivative issues such as high scalper prices and purchase limits. At the end, it calls for rational store visits and rational consumption, and retains professional coffee information channels such as Front Street Coffee for enthusiasts to exchange and refer to. [more…]

Amid the wave of price cuts in new-style tea drinks, a cup of milk tea priced at 50 yuan is no longer common. However, on the opening day of Chayan Yuese's first store in Nanjing, scalpers were reselling cups for as much as 200 yuan, with people lining up as early as 4:30 a.m., and related topics quickly trended on Weibo. Due to excessive crowds and chaotic order, the Xinjiekou store posted a sold-out notice and closed its entrance just five minutes before its official opening, while the Jiangning Jingfeng store continued operating. Police dispatched officers to maintain order and persuade citizens to leave. On some trading platforms, proxy purchasing and queuing services appeared, priced between 10 and 200 yuan. The Nanjing Market Supervision Bureau made it clear that scalping is illegal. People's Daily Online called on consumers to treat internet-famous brands rationally and not be led by merchants and scalpers. [more…]

In recent years, mainland new-style tea beverage brands have been rushing into Hong Kong one after another, with Mixue Ice Cream & Tea, Heytea, Nayuki, and Shuyi Tealicious having already established a presence. On September 28, Chagee, positioned as a mid-to-high-end brand, opened its first store in Hong Kong at K11 Art Mall in Tsim Sha Tsui, right next to Nayuki and Heytea. On opening day, they invited Charmaine Sheh to make an appearance and rolled out promotions like buy-one-get-one-free, attracting long queues of customers with wait times reaching three to five hours. This article sorts through key information including store design, product pricing, promotional activities, and market prospects to give you a quick look at this Hong Kong tea beverage frenzy. [more…]

Huaihua in Hunan Province quickly went viral on social media thanks to the sincere service of hairstylist Xiaohua, attracting over 200,000 visits in total, with more than 60 specialty shops already set up locally, and the culture and tourism authorities also rolling out supporting perks such as free admission to scenic spots. Amid this wave of traffic-driven dividends, a woman from Guizhou who had originally planned to get a haircut from Xiaohua queued for several days in a row but failed to get a reservation number, so she simply set up a temporary coffee stand beside her self-driving car, serving passersby pour-over coffee and reaching daily sales of around 700 yuan. This impromptu entrepreneurial move sparked heated discussion among netizens, with some praising her creativity and drive, and others questioning whether it was an elaborately planned marketing stunt. [more…]

During the first New Year's mini-holiday after the adjustment of pandemic control policies, people who had recovered from COVID-19 began traveling in large numbers, rapidly heating up the food and beverage consumption market. Long queues reappeared outside milk tea and coffee shops, with some stores seeing orders surge, and even scenes of ordering systems showing queues of over a hundred cups. From Auntea Jenny to Naixue Tea, sales data from multiple brands rebounded significantly, and foot traffic in many commercial districts recovered to 60 to 80 percent of the same period in previous years. Although the pace of recovery remains uneven, the city's lively atmosphere is gradually returning, and the industry is full of expectations for a comprehensive rebound in spring. [more…]