Retail News CRM

Tag: Chatime

  • Chatime And Maybelline Unveil Mascara-inspired Beverage Line With Unique Promotional Prizes

    Chatime And Maybelline Unveil Mascara-inspired Beverage Line With Unique Promotional Prizes

    Chatime and Maybelline New York have come together to unveil a series of four beverages that draw inspiration from Maybelline’s latest addition to its product line, the Colossal Bubble Mascara. The mascara promises to offer a voluminous yet lightweight effect.

    The Limited-Edition Beverage Collection

    The unique, limited-edition drink line-up includes Bubbillicious Mango Fruity, Colossal Mango Passion Frozen, Maybe It’s Peach Fruity, and Maybelline Sugar Swirl. These beverages aim to offer a refreshing twist and a new dimension to the beverage experience for customers, reflecting the bold and innovative nature of the two brands.

    Rachel Druce, who is in charge of marketing at Chatime, has expressed that this partnership has opened up a novel dimension in the brand’s line of collaborations. According to her, this initiative blends the worlds of beauty and beverages in a manner that is unique, enjoyable, and perfectly in tune with Chatime’s brand identity.

    An Exciting Offer for Customers

    As part of the promotion, customers who purchase any of the Maybelline-themed bubble tea drinks will receive a ‘Scratch and Win’ card. This allows them the opportunity to win a variety of prizes, including over 3000 full-size mascaras and an array of Chemist Warehouse vouchers.

    Melanie Bower, the marketing director of Maybelline New York ANZ, has expressed that this collaboration perfectly complements the launch of their new mascara. Being the leading mascara brand in Australia, Maybelline New York is constantly seeking unique and exciting ways to engage with its consumers. According to Bower, the collaboration with Chatime perfectly encapsulates this ethos by celebrating bold lashes and bold flavours together.

    The promotion is set to run nationwide from August 12th to 25th across all Chatime outlets.

    Questions & Answers

    What is the nature of the collaboration between Chatime and Maybelline New York?

    The collaboration involves the launch of four limited-edition beverages inspired by Maybelline’s new Colossal Bubble Mascara.

    What benefits do customers get from this collaboration?

    Customers who purchase any of the Maybelline-themed bubble tea drinks will receive a ‘Scratch and Win’ card, providing them a chance to win a variety of prizes, including over 3000 full-size mascaras and Chemist Warehouse vouchers.

    How long is the promotion set to run?

    The promotion is scheduled to run from August 12th to 25th across all Chatime outlets nationwide.

  • Chinese tea chain Mixue opens its first Australia outlet

    Chinese tea chain Mixue opens its first Australia outlet

    Chinese tea chain Mixue has launched in Australia, opening its first store in Sydney’s World Square shopping centre.

    Two more locations are imminent in Brisbane and Melbourne.

    The Sydney store features floor-to-ceiling windows spanning an entire wall and red steel frames.

    A marketing campaign by Mixue offering “1000 Sydney students to have a drink for free” was launched for the brand’s Sydney launch. Mixue said that although the pricing will be different to that in its home market, the quality will not change.

    Founded by Zhang Hongchao in 1997, Mixue Ice Cream and Tea opened its first overseas store in Vietnam in 2018 and currently has 600 stores in 11 Asian countries and 21,000 stores in China.

    With several milk tea companies expanding into the market during the past two years, Australia is a promising destination for the sector.

    Global milk tea giant Gong Cha last year said it planned to add 17 new stores to its existing 118 locations in Australia and both Gotcha and Chatime recently said they planned to prioritise the market.

    Lees ook:

  • Chatime creates Instagrammable 3D-painted walls in Japan stores

    Chatime creates Instagrammable 3D-painted walls in Japan stores

    Taiwanese shaken ice-tea brand Chatime has incorporated large areas of 3D-painted walls into the interior design of the tea shops in a move to target female customers who enjoy taking photos in its Japanese stores.

    The vivid 3D-painted walls were created by local Japanese designers for people to check in on social media.

    The themes and styles vary between outlets. The strategy, which follows the trend to take pictures with bubble tea for social check-ins, has seen customers spending more time queuing for a picture than for a cup of bubble tea.

    In a similar move, Chatime has launched limited products with visually appealing packages to encourage instagram posting.

    Chatime is now the fastest-growing brand in its category within the territory, with three stores opening every two months. Its shop in Shibuya 109 has regularly reported daily sales of 1000 cups. The firm’s shop in Osaka’s Shinsaibashi District has now become the brand’s top store globally in terms of sales, retailing more than 2000 cups per day.

    Chatimed expects to expand to 35 outlets within Japan by the end of this year.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Loob takes Chatime Malaysia to court

    Loob takes Chatime Malaysia to court

    A defamation suit filed by bubble tea brand Tealive against Chatime Malaysia will be heard next February.

    Tealive’s owner Loob Holdings was formerly the primary franchise holder for Chatime before a series of disputes resulted in Chatime owners La Kaffa International terminating their agreement. Tealive is claiming that statements made and released to the media subsequent to Loob Holding’s departure from the brand were injurious to its business.

    The decision to proceed to trial follows the rejection of an appeal to cancel the suit by Chatime and its directors.

    Tealive is demanding a written apology to be published in English and Bahasa Malaysia newspapers, an injunction to prevent a repeat of the defamatory statements, and general damages, costs and other relief as appropriate.

  • Chatime to open first Singapore store this year

    Chatime to open first Singapore store this year

    Malaysia’s Will Group is planning to open first Chatime Singapore outlet this year.

    The first two stores will be opened inside shopping malls, with a third scheduled for Jewel Changi Airport next year.

    The group is also negotiating to take over the Singapore master franchise for the tea brand from current franchisor La Kaffa International.

    Chatime also plans to expand into the Middle East, with outlets in Mecca and Medina this year, under a sub-franchise arrangement.

    Chatime Malaysia has obtained the halal food certification for its menu, paving its way for business expansion.

    Will Group has set a RM100 million (S$33.6 million) budget to open 150 outlets in Malaysia and internationally.

    Will Group became master franchisee for Chatime in Malaysia following a dispute between La Kaffa and ex-master franchisee Loob Holding.

  • Will Group eyes rights for Chatime in Singapore

    Will Group eyes rights for Chatime in Singapore

    Will Group Sdn Bhd, the master franchisee for Chatime in Malaysia, is eyeing the rights for Chatime in Singapore a year after it opens its first outlet there.

    Chatime Malaysia group managing director Aliza Ali said it has obtained the green light from Chatime franchisor La Kaffa International Co Ltd to enter the Singapore market, where it will open two Chatime outlets in shopping malls this year and an outlet in Jewel Changi Airport in 2019 to gauge the market there.

    “It (Singapore master franchisee) is something that we’re eyeing but let us prove ourselves to the principal (La Kaffa) first. If they see that we can manage the market in Singapore and if they’re happy with our performance, we will talk about the possibility (of being the Singaporean master franchisee),” she told SunBiz.

    Aliza noted that there are existing bubble tea players that are doing well in Singapore, such as Koi, Gong Cha and LiHo. There is no Chatime in Singapore yet. Its rival Tealive is also not in Singapore, but has ventured into Vietnam and announced plans to go into Australia.

    “This (Singapore) is a new market, we can’t just go in and want the master franchisee rights without showing that we are going to do it well. We have to open (outlets) first then only we can see how the market is. For us to jump in to be the master franchisee and put our investments there without knowing how we want to move ahead, wouldn’t be a smart move either,” she explained.

    Aliza added that franchisors will usually save the exclusivity of a territory for a franchisee, while it markets the brand there. Once the franchisee has opened a certain number of outlets for a period of time, the franchisor will then award the master franchisee rights to the selected franchisee.

    While Singapore is a feasible venture for Will Group, the bubble tea company is also entering the Middle East market, with plans to open Chatime outlets in Mecca and Medina this year.

    There is already a Chatime master franchisee in the Middle East in Saudi Arabia (Jeddah) hence Will Group is aiming for Mecca and Medina where Chatime is yet to be present, under a sub-franchisee arrangement.

    “We would like to have some exclusivity there (in the Middle East) but we’re aware that there is already a master franchisee so any planning would have to be done out of respect for the master franchisee there. It has to be something that the master franchisee is comfortable to grant us. With the help of La Kaffa, we would like to get our interest across to the master franchisee there,” said Aliza.

    Its expansion plan into Singapore and Middle East comes after Chatime Malaysia obtained the halal food certification from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia for its menu, paving the way for new avenues of business. It has outlined a five-year RM100 million expansion plan targeting over 150 outlets in Malaysia and internationally.

    Will Group was offered the role of master franchisee for Chatime in Malaysia following a dispute that escalated between La Kaffa and ex-master franchisee Loob Holding Sdn Bhd last year, that saw the franchisor terminating the master franchisee contract with Loob.

  • Chatime Malaysia sues Tealive

    Chatime Malaysia sues Tealive

    Chatime Malaysia Sdn Bhd yesterday issued a legal letter to Loob Holding Sdn Bhd for the misrepresentation and defamation on Chatime implying that the brand had been replaced and renamed as Tealive.

    Chatime Malaysia group managing director Aliza Ali said Loob Holding had deliberately misrepresented and misled the public that Chatime had been renamed and is now operating as Tealive in Malaysia.

    It said this was done through headlines on the Loob Holding website, particularly two headlines “Chatime renamed as Tealive” and “Tealive replaced Chatime” that falsely indicate that Chatime was renamed to Tealive.

    “We have given them a considerably long grace period of one year to rectify the issue, unfortunately Loob Holding’s website still holds the two headlines ‘Chatime renamed to Tealive’ and ‘Tealive ganti Chatime’, with a new headline that reads ‘Tealive replaced Chatime’,” said Aliza.

    She said this was published as recent as February 2018; all of which have led the public to believe that Chatime has ceased to exist as a result.

    “These misleading statements from Loob Holding have cost us our goodwill and our brand, as such we felt obliged to address the confusion and safeguard Chatime’s reputation in both Malaysia, as well as at an international level,” said Chatime Malaysia executive director Widayu Latiff.

    A year after taking over the Chatime market in Malaysia as its master franchisee, Aliza said that it is now taking on necessary steps to protect the brand, which may include legal proceedings.

    Lees ook:

  • Malaysian bubble-tea stoush now question of loyalty

    Malaysian bubble-tea stoush now question of loyalty

    Malaysia’s Chatime bubble-tea stoush continues, with a fresh argument regarding outlet loyalties.

    Taiwanese Chatime franchise owner La Kaffa International says nearly 50 outlets will stay with it, while former Malaysian master franchisee Loob Holdings claims that only four outlets have opted to keep the Chatime banner.

    Loob CEO Bryan Loo says more than 95 per cent of the total 165 Chatime outlets in Malaysia have decided to quit the brand and adopt Loob Holding’s new brand.

    “Only three franchisees, who run a total of four stalls, do not want to move on with us. They will be handed back to the franchise owner,” he told journalists at Kuala Lumpur’s Pavilion Shopping Mall after launching his new brand, Tealive.

    He did not name the franchisees or pinpoint their outlets.

    Loo says the new name was chosen to appeal not only to Malaysians, but across the other regions – and internationally.

    “So we felt like we had to find a very good name; and it had to be different from Chatime. We started with over 300 names and over three days, we shortlisted it down to 30 names and then the last one. In the end, we wanted a name that was simple and easy to digest no matter who you are.

    “While shortlisting, we felt that we exceptionally liked the names that had different pronunciations.

    People used to pronounce Chatime in so many different ways and it stirred conversation. So we wanted the same spirit; and that’s how we landed on the name Tealive (live pronounced similar to ‘a live show’). Some people could pronounce it tea-live (as in live at home) but the important thing is the underlying meaning to it – we want to bring a new life to tea.”

    Loo said in an interview that Tealive will be very different to other brands in the crowded bubble-tea market.

    “We want to be the brand that protects the weak and isn’t afraid of the strong; but also the brand that embraces changes. On the other side, with our hands untied, I believe that over the next quarters there is going to be a lot of innovation in terms of products, which we couldn’t do before.

    “When we used to collaborate with local brands, we were served warning letters; so moving forward that’s something we don’t have to worry about, so we can be innovative. I would also like to establish a regional R&D centre to come up with more creative drinks that will excite the market. Also, we’re looking to carry on with our aggressive expansion and move into other regions. We were already planning to do that with the previous brand, but now we get to do it with Tealive,” Loo said.

    La Kaffa contradicts claims

    At a press conference in a Kuala Lumpur hotel earlier this month, La Kaffa International executive VP Teresa Wang said the company was confident that nearly 50 franchisees would continue to collaborate with Chatime.

    At the same time, La Kaffa claimed Loob Holdings had stopped ordering the halal ingredients it supplied from Taiwan for Chatime’s Malaysia outlets. Loob Holdings has denied this, with Loo saying its products are certified by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim).

    The dispute bubbled to the surface in early December when the Taiwanese company terminated the master franchise agreement between the two parties, even though there was more than 20 years left on the deal.

    Loo has lodged a police report over the sudden termination, and both companies have taken the dispute to the Singapore International Arbitration Centre.

    Vietnam foray

    Meanwhile, Loo says Tealive will be opening its first overseas outlet in Vietnam before October.
    “We plan to deliver five outlets in Vietnam this year, and hope to increase that with another 20 outlets by the end of next year,” he says.

    Chatime is already in Vietnam with seven outlets in Hanoi, two in Ho Chi Minh City and one in Di An, Binh Duong province.

    Loo says Tealive will also venture into other Asean countries within the next few years.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Chatime Malaysia outlets to rebrand

    Chatime Malaysia outlets to rebrand

    Chatime Malaysia bubble-tea outlets will be rebranded following a dispute between franchisor La Kaffa International of Taiwan and Malaysia’s Loob Holdings.

    The move follows a termination of the franchise contract because of irreconcilable differences. Loob Holdings, which runs 165 Chatime outlets in Malaysia, contributes more than half of the turnover for the franchise company’s 800 outlets internationally.

    “We will surely come up with something better,” says CEO Bryan Loo, noting his company has nine other brands. He says it built the Taiwanese brand from scratch in Malaysia — “from zero to hero, and from no outlet to the current 165”.

    Loo says disagreements and disputes over business and operational matters had all been dealt with in accordance with the terms of the franchise agreement.

    “In 2011, there were a few dozen bubble-tea brands, and now there are only three. We are by far the market leader in our segment, and we are confident of holding this leadership with our own brand, which will be revealed when the time comes.”

    The dispute came to light when La Kaffa announced on January 6 that it had terminated the franchise and would immediately take over all the 165 Chatime outlets in Malaysia. However, Loo has clarified that Loob Holding and its sub-franchisees are still running all 165 outlets. According to the franchise agreement, the outlets will stop using the Chatime branding after 45 days.

  • Sharetea bubble tea arrives in Vietnam

    Sharetea bubble tea arrives in Vietnam

    Taiwanese bubble-tea brand Sharetea has launched into Vietnam with a store on the walking street of Nguyen Hue in central Ho Chi Minh City.

    Sharetea has more than 450 stores in more than 18 countries. Its drinks are made from tea leaves and ingredients shipped directly from Taiwan.

    It says its customers’ favourite drinks include coffee milk tea, kiwifruit tea, whole-lemon green tea and pearl black milk tea.

    Vietnam’s bubble-tea market has yet to reach its potential, say business owners in the sector. Sharetea is competing with other overseas brands like Chatime, Gong Cha and Koi.

    Lees ook:

  • Chatime Malaysia master franchisor axed

    Chatime Malaysia master franchisor axed

    Loob Holdings, which owns and runs the Chatime Malaysia outlets, says it will seek legal advice in response to news of a purported termination of the franchise agreement with La Kaffa International of Taiwan.

    Loob CEO Bryan Loo says that while the franchisor owns the brands, all Chatime outlets in Malaysia are owned and run by his company, either through direct ownership, sub-franchisees or joint ventures with sub-franchisees.

    While awaiting the legal process, he says all 165 Chatime outlets in Malaysia will be open as usual with Loob as master franchisee.

    Earlier, La Kaffa chairman Henry Wang announced the termination of Loob Holdings’ Chatime master franchisor contract, which it has held for six year, because of disagreements in the direction of business operations.

    Wang said La Kaffa would take over the Chatime business in Malaysia, assuring franchisees they would continue to receive support from the company.

  • CityOn.Zhengzhou to open fully leased

    CityOn.Zhengzhou to open fully leased

    Taubman Asia, a subsidiary of US shopping centre group Taubman Centers, and China’s Wangfujing Group, have announced the line-up of retailers for its CityOn.Zhengzhou mall in Henan province, set to open on March 16.

    When it opens, the centre will be 100 per cent leased and 90 per cent occupied with nearly 200 stores and restaurants. In the heart of Zhengdong New District, the six-level, 94,000 sqm shopping and dining destination will offer domestic, international and lifestyle brands from fast fashion to accessible luxury, anchored by a four-level Wangfujing department store.

    “We are thrilled to see our second China project coming to life in Zhengzhou,” says Taubman Asia president Rene Tremblay.

    Local, regional and international cuisine at all price points and in both seated restaurants and quick-serve formats will be a feature of the centre, which will also offer family-friendly experiential, educational and entertainment offerings.

    Many international brands will be making their central China debut at the centre, says Taubman Asia group VP Paul Wright.

    Outlets at the mall include…

    Fashion: Adidas, Ajidou, Basic House, Bershka, Charles & Keith, Columbia, Converse, Ecco, Five Plus, Forever 21, H&M, Innisfree, Jack & Jones, KIKC, Kipling, La Chapelle, Lee, Levi’s, Mango, Massimo Dutti, Miniso, Mishka, Mobi Garden, Nike, Pandora, Polo, Sand & Foam, Sephora, Skechers, Stradivarius, The North Face, Uniqlo, Vans, Vero Moda, Westlink and Zara.

    F&B/entertainment/kids/lifestyle/electronics: Acasia Food Village (featuring 14 food vendors), Benfu Sushi, Boat Noodle, Chatime, Chez Choux, Chicken Container, Coco, Dollar Shop, FrozenYo, GB Kids Station, Gong Cha, Grandma’s Kitchen, Guoguo Mutton Soup Restaurant, Guxiang No. 9 Catering, Hallmark Babies, Homao, Huawei, iSpace, La Chapelle Kids, Lenovo, MagicSalad, MM by Haircode, Mr Wish, NaughtyKids, New York Fries, Oscar CityOn Cinema, PapaBubble, Pizza Zone, Rbike, Siwuke Tea, Starbucks, Strawberry Forever, Subway, Teppanyaki Xiang, Toot Science, Udon & Tempura, Uncle, Wan Quan Bu Tong, Xiang Tian Xia Huo Guo, Xiao Liu Jia, Xiao Zhu Zhu Kao Rou, Xue Mi Da, Yang Xiang Dou Pi Shuan Niu Du, YuYuTo, ZBX Fresh Fish Hot Pot, Zheng Shi Yi and Zoo Steak.

    Lees ook: