In London, a newly opened milk tea shop has a long queue outside. Inside, stylish young customers savor various creative milk tea options, enjoying the Eastern flavors enriched with pearls and coconut jelly.
This scene is now common on the streets of Milan, Brooklyn in New York, and even Bogotá, Colombia. Chinese milk tea, as a unique cultural symbol, is gradually making its mark in the global market.
In recent years, with the rise of new consumption trends, Chinese tea brands such as Heytea and Naixue’s Tea have ventured overseas. On its opening day, the Heytea store in London attracted a large number of customers and quickly garnered over 6,500 followers on social media. Brands like Gu Ming and CoCo have also opened stores in Italy and Colombia. Through different market strategies, these brands are striving to carve out their own space on the international stage.
In the overseas market, Chinese milk tea brands are adopting differentiated expansion paths. For example, Heytea has quickly won consumer favor by creating a high-end, stylish store image while innovating to cater to local tastes. In contrast, brands like Yi Dian Dian and Xin Shi Chi have taken a low-key chain operation approach, gradually expanding beyond Chinese communities into broader markets.
Additionally, some Chinese entrepreneurs overseas have launched their own brands, such as "Sui Yuan Milk Tea" in the UK, which combines traditional Chinese tea with Western flavors to create innovative beverages that attract many local consumers.
The global popularity of milk tea is not only due to its unique taste but also its perfect alignment with Generation Z consumers' pursuit of individuality and freshness. The customizable ingredients in milk tea, such as pearls and red beans, meet the diverse needs of consumers from different regions.
Moreover, the success of milk tea brands in visual marketing is another key factor. From pastel-themed color palettes to Instagram-worthy creative beverages, the fashionability of milk tea and its viral presence on social media have made it a trendy label among young consumers.
In Colombia, for instance, a milk tea shop named "¡yab!" not only offers innovative products like “Pink Ink Latte” but also sells merchandise, attracting a large number of young consumers. Although the price of milk tea is significantly higher than that of coffee locally, its personalization and uniqueness compel young people to pay for it willingly. Milk tea has become more than just a beverage; it is shaping new consumption trends globally.
However, the overseas expansion of Chinese milk tea also faces several challenges. First, sourcing and importing raw materials is a significant bottleneck. Many brands find it challenging to procure tea leaves and ingredients that meet local food standards. In the UK, milk tea brands must strictly comply with food safety regulations, particularly regarding the absence of pesticide residues in tea leaves. Additionally, logistics issues related to equipment and packaging have led to increased operational costs, making initial expansion difficult.
Second, cultural differences and market acceptance present another hurdle. Although milk tea is popular among Chinese communities and young consumers, it still seems unfamiliar to many Western consumers who have never encountered it before. In contrast, coffee is deeply rooted in Western culture and daily life, symbolizing social interaction, culture, and lifestyle. It is no easy task for milk tea to challenge the status of coffee.
In fact, in many places, milk tea and coffee coexist in a complementary manner. Some milk tea shops in London have become trendy hangout spots for young people, who also frequently visit coffee shops. Milk tea provides global consumers with a new choice, particularly among the younger generation, which has created new consumption habits.
Industry insiders believe that the competition between milk tea and coffee is not a zero-sum game. With its diversity and personalization advantages, milk tea has found its market globally. This new consumption trend may, in the future, run parallel to the coffee market, forming a diversified beverage ecosystem.