Will Cotti Coffee win the price war against Luckin Coffee?
Founded in August 2022 by former Luckin Coffee executives Lu Zhengya and Qian Zhiya, Cotti Coffee (库迪咖啡) has experienced rapid growth. As of May 2024, it had the third-highest number of coffee shops, with 6,505 stores, following Starbucks with 7,102 stores and Luckin Coffee with 18,360 stores. Despite its meteoric rise and the growing number […]
Brewing a remarkable resurgence: Luckin Coffee’s tale of innovation and redemption
In the hyper-competitive Chinese coffee market, few stories are as gripping as that of Luckin Coffee (瑞幸咖啡). Once embroiled in a scandal that led to its expulsion from Wall Street in 2020, Luckin Coffee has not just clawed back to its former glory but has also eclipsed some of the industry giants. As of early […]
Caffeine Delights: China’s coffee market is growing at an incredible speed
In a country where tea is considered to be the national beverage, coffee had not high hopes to be positively accepted in the market, when it first entered in the 1980s. 30 years later, the situation has drastically changed: although consumption per capita is still low, China’s coffee market sales have skyrocketed in the last […]
Manner Coffee: From one roadside store to nation-wide, how this boutique coffee shop has expanded throughout China
The coffee market in China continues to grow at a tremendous pace, with a variety of shops testing out different business models in this industry. But after the rise and fall of Luckin, the sudden rise of instant coffee like Coffee Pls, and a myriad of foreign players like Starbucks, a simple and humble Manner […]
Costa Coffee in China: a ubiquitous player
Although coffee got off to a late start in China, coffee shops are now scattered through tier-1 and tier-4 cities alike, and consumption is on the rise. One chain that captures the premium side of China’s coffee market is Costa Coffee. This case study of Costa Coffee in China shows how the British coffee shop […]
Podcast transcript #15: The challenging Chinese coffee industry
Find here the China paradigm episode 15. Learn more about Carol Liu’s story in China and find all the details and additional links below. Full transcript below: Matthieu David: Hello everyone and welcome in this new episode of China Paradigm, the China business podcast where we interview entrepreneurs in China. Today I am with Carol […]
[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 […]
[Interview] Shanghai is for Entrepreneurs: Big Sur and the coffee shop industry in China
How Carol Liu, the founder of Big Sur Tea and Coffee Shop, forged a new path in the coffee shop industry in China Carol Liu invested in one of the best coffee machines on the market, La Marzocco. For Carol Liu (刘晓光), her story is a part of a growing crowd in Shanghai. Once China […]
Local coffee brands in China
LOCAL COFFEE BRANDS IN CHINA Overview of the coffee market in China According to data from China Coffee Association Beijing, the coffee consumption growth is increasing at an annual rate of 15 percent. Even if the population individuals drink an average of 5 cups of coffee per year, compared to the world’s average of 240 […]
Market Report on: Costa Coffee in China
Costa was founded by Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa in 1971 and is now part of the Whitbread family of brands. Costa operates in 25 countries and is now the number two international coffee shop operator with 1,600 stores: 1,069 in the UK; and 531 overseas. Outlets Analysis of Costa Coffee in China According […]