Chagee marches ahead in latest overseas push

The company has built a strong brand identity by fusing traditional Chinese aesthetics with modern design. Its visual branding draws on cultural symbols such as Peking Opera masks and the Ancient Tea Horse Road in Yunnan province, while store interiors balance traditional motifs with minimalist modernity, appealing to young, culturally minded consumers, he added.

Chagee enters the global stage as part of a broader wave of Chinese tea brands expanding abroad.

Heytea opened its first overseas store in Singapore in 2018 and has since moved into markets such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and the United States, opening more than 70 stores overseas.

Meanwhile, Mixue Group has established over 4,800 overseas locations and is the world's largest ready-made beverage chain by number of stores. Mixue built four local distribution centers and plans to continue to expand its logistics facilities in four countries in Southeast Asia.

Other players like ChaPanda have also entered the fray. ChaPanda has emphasized localization, rapidly opening multiple outlets overseas since last year and adjusting its menu to cater to local preferences.

The company now has 18 overseas stores and is pushing forward with its global strategy in markets including South Korea, Thailand, and Spain. The company's 2024 financial results, released in March, showed that its revenue reached 4.92 billion yuan, with the number of stores growing by 7.6 percent.

wangzhuoqiong@chinadaily.com.cn