“Why is coffee becoming cheaper and cheaper as it sells more”: Trending hashtag on Chinese social media
China’s coffee market is projected to reach a staggering RMB 1 trillion in 2025. This rapid growth, however, also comes with intensifying competition. In addition to well-known domestic coffee brands and international coffee chains, even tea-focused brands like Mixue Ice Cream & Tea (蜜雪冰城) have entered the coffee market with their own freshly ground coffee brand, Lucky […]
Oat milk in the APAC: diverse entry strategies and market maturation
The global oat milk market reached approximately USD 2.52 billion in value in 2022 and is forecasted to grow to USD 6.09 billion by 2032. While oat milk initially gained popularity in the West, it has now expanded into the APAC region. Global brands such as Oatly and Alpro have entered various APAC markets through […]
Exploring the thirst for drink collaborations in China
China’s beverage market is highly lucrative, with revenues projected to reach 504.1 billion RMB in 2023. It is also estimated to achieve an annual growth rate of 9.91% between 2023 and 2027. The market has evolved from primarily tea and traditional drinks to a multifaceted industry that encompasses a wide range of products, including carbonated […]
“The rejuvenation of baijiu should not stop at publicity stunts”: Trending hashtag on Chinese social media
As anyone on Chinese social media has already seen from the explosive collaboration, in the 1st week of September, domestic coffee chain Luckin Coffee launched a new product “sauce-flavored latte (酱香拿铁),” in collaboration with Kweichow Moutai (贵州茅台), the producer of China’s “National Liquor”, baijiu. This new drink, containing no more than 0.5% alcohol by volume, quickly became a […]
How health-conscious consumers are transforming the Chinese beverage market
The beverage industry in China is booming, thanks to the recovery of social events like parties and wedding banquets after the pandemic. The market grew to 1.25 trillion RMB (182 billion USD) in 2022 and produced 183.3 million tons in 2021. The most popular beverages in China in 2022 were packaged drinking water, carbonated beverages, […]
How this Chinese coffee brand is saving the monkeys
On 11 November, Yong Pu Coffee and Ant Forest declared their Double Eleven campaign, “Hou Xiang Jian Ni” (“猴想见你”, a wordplay on “really want to see you” in Chinese). Yong Pu launched a limited “forest-flavored” edition. This coffee is dedicated to the conservation project of the black snub-nosed monkey in Yunnan Province. Through “matchmaking” monkeys, […]
[Podcast] China paradigm #15: How to successfully run a coffee shop chain in China
In this episode of China paradigm, Matthieu David, CEO of Daxue Consulting, catches up with Carol Liu, who managed up to 5 coffee shops in China she co-created with her husband. Liu’s Coffee chain “Big Sur” is serving 500 coffee cups a day and emphasizes high quality, using top-notch coffee machines and bean-grinding machinery from […]
From soda to tea to alcohol, how ready-to-drink (RTD) brands compete in China’s expanding market
Main segmentations of Ready-to-drink (often known as RTD) in China market include alcoholic RTD and non-alcoholic RTD. Alcoholic RTD, mainly alcopops, refers to certain flavored alcoholic beverages with relatively low alcohol content. Non-alcoholic RTD comprises many different types such as RTD coffee, RTD tea, soft drink, juice, energy drinks and dairy-based drinks. According to the […]
Coffee shop implantation in Shanghai
China is becoming a nation of coffee drinkers; Shanghai and Beijing are influencing the rest of China by shifting from drinking tea to coffee, in particular through coffee shops. Speciality beverage industry is growing at a very strong pace and sales are projected to grow at the rate of 40% per year for some categories. […]
Development of coffee market in China
As standard of living in China continues to improve recently, foreign drinks such as coke and coffee are accepting by an increasing number of Chinese. Coffee is gradually relative to fashion and taste in China, and it becomes a way to show social status. Nowadays, coffee shops are common in many cities in China. Many […]