New tea beverage brand Guming has recently launched a second-hand equipment trading platform within the DingTalk system, open to all franchisees, providing matchmaking services only and not directly participating in buying or selling. The platform offers valuation and inspection services for sellers, and price comparison and anti-fraud protections for buyers. According to Guming's prospectus, equipment sales account for approximately 4.5% of revenue, while franchisees' initial equipment investment is about 100,000 yuan. As competition in the new tea beverage industry intensifies, a wave of store closures once led to a backlog of unsold second-hand equipment, with recyclers even disposing of it as scrap metal. Whether Guming's move can provide franchisees with a safer and more convenient transfer channel is worth watching. Front Street Coffee has long monitored trends in the coffee and tea beverage industries and will continue to track the platform's actual performance. [more…]

Recently, a second-hand ice machine has stirred up controversy between NetEase and Nestlé. A second-hand ice machine bearing Tencent's logo was discovered in NetEase's break room. NetEase later confirmed that the equipment came from Tencent and accused Nestlé of concealing the source of the second-hand equipment and illegally reselling it, in suspected violation of food safety regulations. NetEase has reported Nestlé and its agency company to the State Administration for Market Regulation. Nestlé responded that the ice machine was not produced or provided by it. The incident continues to escalate and has drawn widespread attention. [more…]

Once upon a time, opening a coffee shop was seen by countless people as the ideal path to escape the 996 work grind and embrace poetry and distant lands. Reality, however, is like an unsweetened espresso—bitter enough to catch you off guard. In recent months, warehouses of second-hand coffee equipment recyclers have been bursting at the seams, and self-deprecating posts about "money-losing cafés" have proliferated on social media. From the vengeful wave of shop openings at the start of the year to the current wave of closures, the coffee industry is undergoing a brutal shakeout. Some are cutting their losses helplessly, others are struggling to hang on, and surprisingly, many entrepreneurs' first pot of gold has come from selling off the coffee machines they once bought at great expense. This article takes you deep into this phenomenon, dissecting the business logic and survival challenges behind coffee entrepreneurship—if you're also preparing to open a shop, perhaps you should first read these real stories. [more…]

Recently, Shuyi Tealicious has faced a backlog of unsold second-hand equipment due to mass store closures, with recyclers even disposing of machines worth tens of thousands of yuan at scrap metal prices. This tea beverage brand, once wildly popular for its "half a cup is all toppings" slogan, has seen its store count shrink by over a thousand compared to its peak after undergoing price reduction strategies and adjustments to franchise thresholds. Meanwhile, the entire new tea beverage sector is facing a reshuffle, with approximately 120,000 stores disappearing in the past year. This article reviews the rise and fall of Shuyi Tealicious, the plight of its franchisees, and the chain reactions of the industry's closure wave, while maintaining Front Street Coffee's ongoing attention to industry dynamics. [more…]

How to choose an espresso machine when opening a coffee shop? Many people are drawn in by claims that high-end brands hold their value, but the second-hand market hides risks. This article analyzes the arms race phenomenon in coffee machines, examines value-retention cases of brands like La Marzocco, reveals price traps and equipment pitfalls in second-hand transactions, and advises people to act within their means, consider more cost-effective equipment such as those recommended by Front Street Coffee, and keep funds for operations. [more…]

As the year draws to a close, chain brands are accelerating their entry, franchise thresholds keep dropping, and the price war is intensifying. Under the weight of these three pressures, a group of independent coffee shops that have been barely hanging on are hastening toward their end. On social platforms, news of countdowns to closure, store transfers, and coffee machines being sold off cheaply floods the feeds. From shop owners to part-time employees to second-hand equipment dealers, everyone is witnessing this surging wave of closures. Through multiple real cases, this article reconstructs the harsh reality of today's coffee entrepreneurship track. [more…]

The city-exclusive fridge magnets that HEYTEA launched for new store openings quickly sparked a collecting craze, thanks to designs that incorporate local characteristics and cultural history. Because they could only be obtained at newly opened stores in the corresponding cities, social media platforms saw phenomena such as cross-city proxy purchases, swaps, and even high-priced buyouts. The free merch was resold on second-hand platforms for 40 to 100 yuan, and HEYTEA later responded that it did not endorse high-priced buyouts, and planned to launch a monthly points redemption campaign so that more consumers would have a chance to collect fridge magnets from different cities. [more…]

Recently, the new-style tea beverage brand Grandpa's Tea, originating from Wuhan, has been reported to have closed or withdrawn stores in multiple locations, including Zibo in Shandong, Suzhou in Jiangsu, and Poyang in Jiangxi, sparking consumer concerns about its business condition. The brand's co-founder had set an expansion target of at least 4,500 stores in 2025, striving for 5,000, but as of October 18, only 2,274 stores were in operation, a clear gap from the goal. Meanwhile, well-known tea brands like Xiamen's Sevenbus and Shenzhen's 813 Bayishan have also fallen into store closure controversies. In response to external doubts, Grandpa's Tea stated that adjustments to individual stores are normal optimization actions by franchisees and that overall operations are sound. This article will sort out the ins and outs of the incident, presenting the brand's response and industry background. [more…]

Chain coffee brands often attract loyal customers with membership discounts, and Mstand's black gold card 50% off benefit was once a reason for many consumers to keep spending. However, some members have discovered that to maintain their status, they need to accumulate spending of 6,000 yuan within a year, which translates to buying 316 discounted drinks to meet the threshold, while scalpers offering proxy orders on second-hand platforms can provide discounts as low as 15% off, and they have not been banned. What confuses members even more is that when they helped friends place proxy orders, they were banned by the system. When official membership discounts are far inferior to scalper prices, the appeal of the membership system is being tested. If the brand tacitly allows proxy orders to exist, will it lose more loyal users? [more…]

Heytea's collaboration with table tennis champion Fan Zhendong has sparked a buying frenzy, with limited-edition fridge magnets and luggage tags selling out within minutes of release, prompting many fans to complain that getting one was as hard as snagging concert tickets. Store employees revealed that each branch received very few of the merch items, to the point that even they couldn't get their hands on any. However, some netizens discovered that scalped items had already appeared on second-hand platforms at inflated prices, listed even earlier than the official promotion, raising suspicions that insiders were withholding stock for profit. Whether it's insufficient inventory or artificial scarcity marketing, consumer discontent is spreading, and the brand's collaboration strategy is facing a real test. [more…]

This Monday, Luckin Coffee's collaboration event with the domestic AAA game Black Myth: Wukong officially launched. However, on the first day, issues such as ordering system failures, merchandise selling out instantly, and redemption anomalies pushed it onto Weibo's trending topics. Players stayed up late to wait and got up early to snap up items, only to encounter situations like "sold out," "unable to redeem," and "stores not receiving stock," with complaints flooding social media. Meanwhile, collaboration posters were being resold at high prices on second-hand platforms. Luckin officially responded later that the system had been repaired and issued a restocking notice, with an estimated production cycle of about 15 days. This article reviews the complete process of this collaboration event and consumer feedback. [more…]

In recent years, coffee festivals and coffee markets have been held with great enthusiasm all over the country, becoming popular gathering spots for coffee lovers. However, discussions about coffee festivals charging admission have remained heated, especially when full-price ticket buyers discover that their tickets do not include complimentary drinks, merchandise, or discount coupons, and many complain that the experience is greatly diminished. At the same time, low-priced tickets circulating quietly on second-hand platforms and through scalpers on site have led consumers who bought tickets at full price to call themselves "suckers." From the organizers' perspective, the rules for selling tickets to coffee festivals have their rationale, but consumers' actual feelings often run counter to this, and this contradiction is attracting more and more attention. [more…]

Luckin Coffee achieved a strong comeback in the market thanks to its affordable prices and membership tier benefits system, but this has also given rise to tier-farming chaos. Recently, some employees revealed that certain consumers, in order to quickly climb to the Nine-Colored Deer or Black Gold Deer tier, pressure stores by placing large orders and then maliciously requesting refunds or leaving bad reviews. "Nine-Colored Deer tier-boosting" services have even appeared on second-hand platforms. This battle over membership tiers has not only increased the burden on store employees but also sparked discussions about consumer ethics and business rules. [more…]

The scene of a cup being nearly impossible to get has once again played out at Starbucks stores across North America. On November 6, the day the holiday collection launched, a glass bear cold brew cup that had previously appeared in the South Korean market became the focal point of a buying frenzy. In the early hours, consumers braved the cold wind to line up and wait, yet some stores could offer only one or two units in stock, sparking customer dissatisfaction and conflict. Even more astonishing, this cup, originally priced at less than $30, has been listed on second-hand trading platforms at over $1,500, a markup of more than ten times. Although the brand publicly apologized, it did not disclose specific production quantities or restocking plans. [more…]

The Christmas collaboration between Heytea and Hello Kitty was supposed to be a fan frenzy, but it was overshadowed by the chaos of scrambling for limited-edition tea bowls. The silver Hello Kitty-shaped tea bowl with a rose-pink tray is small, exquisite, and extremely scarce—each store only received 4 to 6 units, making it as hard to snag as concert tickets. However, before the event even began, consumers on social media reported that some store employees had reserved merchandise in advance for regular customers, and even second-hand platforms saw scalped pre-orders claiming "100% guaranteed stock" and "we'll get it for you." This is not the first time Heytea has encountered issues with collaboration merchandise leaking early and being resold internally; a similar controversy occurred earlier this year during its collaboration with Light and Night. Fans are calling on the brand to thoroughly investigate internal violations, regulate store behavior, and ensure the collaboration event is conducted fairly. [more…]

Luckin Coffee's co-branding campaign with the Lunar New Year film "Creation of the Gods II" has officially launched, with the simultaneous release of a pistachio latte and movie-themed merchandise. However, the first batch of consumers who tried the new product gave polarized reviews of its taste, with many reporting a noticeable greasiness and the inability to substitute oat milk with regular milk. Even more surprising to merchandise collectors was that the co-branded limited-edition cup sleeves were urgently recalled by headquarters due to a printing error, and themed cup sleeves would no longer be offered during the campaign. Meanwhile, misprinted cup sleeves have appeared for sale at high prices on second-hand platforms, sparking considerable skepticism. This article will sort through the sequence of events and the reactions from all sides. [more…]

Manner partnered with the Museum of Art Pudong to launch a promotion where buying two new drinks earns a "Woman Knight" canvas tote bag. The offer was limited to one day and only 10,000 bags nationwide, triggering a buying frenzy. However, many customers had their orders automatically canceled by the system after successful payment, or were told upon arriving at the store that the gifts were already gone, resulting in a terrible experience. Netizens questioned whether stores had stocked too few bags, whether the system inventory matched reality, and some even suspected the gifts were flowing onto second-hand platforms to be resold at high prices. This is not the first time Manner has been criticized over gift inventory issues, dealing another heavy blow to brand goodwill. Front Street Coffee is following this incident and walks you through how it unfolded. [more…]

Recently, a post about Starbucks for-here cups sparked heated discussion on social media, with many netizens expressing surprise that they had never seen anyone use a mug in stores. In fact, over a decade ago, Starbucks staff would proactively ask customers whether they were dining in and offer them for-here cups, but today this practice has quietly disappeared. What is the reason behind this? Employees reveal that frequent theft of for-here cups causing losses, as well as some customers' concerns about tableware hygiene, are the two main reasons stores no longer proactively offer for-here cups. At the same time, this white mug printed with the mermaid logo is highly sought after for its attractive appearance, and even unofficial channels have appeared selling it on second-hand platforms. This article will explore in depth the current situation of Starbucks for-here cups and the story behind them, and includes a professional recommendation from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

As Christmas approaches, Luckin Coffee, in addition to launching new holiday products, is also bringing back its former hit Christmas Sweetheart Thick Milk Latte and the Tom and Jerry co-branded limited edition that caused a frenzy in October. However, the news of this return did not come from official sources, but was leaked in advance by netizens on social media, including the launch time of next Monday (December 18) and the designs of the three-piece set of paper bags, cup sleeves, and stickers. The festive Christmas packaging has prompted many consumers to declare they "must grab it," and pre-sale links have already appeared on second-hand platforms. Nevertheless, the frequent co-branded campaigns have also left some netizens feeling weary, complaining that they haven't yet collected all the badges and can't keep up with drinking them all. Meanwhile, netizens suspected to be Luckin employees nervously pleaded for the posts to be deleted, worried that revealing company information in advance would lead to serious consequences. This co-branded campaign that went viral before it was even announced once again demonstrates netizens' "extraordinary" intelligence-gathering abilities. [more…]

The collaboration between Goodme and Honkai: Star Rail was supposed to be a fan frenzy, but it turned into a reputational crisis due to severe merchandise shortages. On the first day of the event, the official mini-program queue exceeded 1.2 million people, stores in many locations sold out within 3 hours, and high-priced complete merchandise sets appeared on second-hand platforms. Although the brand claimed to have prepared "the largest inventory in history," compared with the previous Love and Deepspace collaboration, whose stock was only one-third of this amount, it clearly underestimated players' purchasing power. What dissatisfied fans even more was that many stores explicitly stated they would not restock, causing the collaboration to end early. This imbalance between traffic and reputation sounded a warning for co-branded marketing in the coffee and tea beverage industry. [more…]