Tag: Mixue

  • Mixue Shifts Malaysia Strategy Toward Food Safety and Quality Control

    Mixue Shifts Malaysia Strategy Toward Food Safety and Quality Control

    Mixue has shifted its operational focus in Malaysia to food safety and standardized store management this quarter. It has slowed its rapid store openings to protect franchise consistency.

    The value-priced ice cream and tea operator is standardizing ingredient handling, audits, and franchise training across hundreds of independently run franchised outlets in the country.

    Standardising Store Operations

    Headquarters teams are rolling out stricter supplier checks, central storage compliance, and mandatory staff retraining. The goal is curbing hygiene inconsistencies across high-volume suburban counters.

    For franchisees, the tightened rules raise daily discipline and audit frequencies. Store managers face unannounced inspections covering temperature logs, equipment sanitization, and ingredient shelf-life tracking.

    Pressure on Value Tea Rivals

    Rival low-cost bubble tea chains in Malaysia now face immediate pressure. Many compete on single-digit ringgit price points. Churning out high volumes at discount prices leaves little room for error in cold chain logistics or store sanitation.

    Protecting customer trust before hygiene lapses damage the brand drives the compliance push. The main risk sits behind the counter. Enforcing uniform standards across hundreds of independently run franchised outlets demands continuous oversight costs.

    Next Phase of Southeast Asian Expansion

    Mixue entered Southeast Asia aggressively, relying on low franchise fees and an integrated Chinese supply chain to blanket Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Rapid expansion quickly secured brand recognition across shopping malls and commercial shop lots.

    Maintaining product consistency across thousands of regional outlets poses a major challenge as local health authorities step up inspections of quick-service beverage chains.

    Malaysian franchisees will complete updated audit cycles over the coming quarter as headquarters evaluates network compliance across Peninsular Malaysia.

  • Mixue Closes 89 Overseas Stores as First-Half Profit Drops 15%

    Mixue Closes 89 Overseas Stores as First-Half Profit Drops 15%

    Mixue cut its overseas footprint by 89 stores in the first half of 2026, driven by closures across core Southeast Asian markets Vietnam and Indonesia.

    Net profit fell 15 percent year on year to 2.32 billion yuan, even as total revenue edged up 2.3 percent to 15.2 billion yuan ($2.26 billion). Group filings show higher selling and distribution expenses ate directly into margins across its franchise network.

    Rising Distribution Costs Squeeze Margins

    The Henan-headquartered drinks giant operated 63,987 outlets globally by June 30, with 59,609 locations in mainland China. That leaves roughly 4,378 international stores, concentrated heavily in Southeast Asia where the brand sells budget soft-serve ice cream and milk tea.

    Mixue did not publish country-level closure totals for Vietnam or Indonesia. The company stated in its interim report that reducing store density improved individual unit quality and created a cleaner base for sustainable operations.

    Franchisee economics have tightened across the region. Rapid street-level expansion in major cities sparked cannibalisation between neighbouring outlets, forcing operators to absorb higher logistics costs on imported syrups and packaging without room to raise retail prices.

    Rebalancing Southeast Asian Footprints

    Vietnam was Mixue’s first international market when the chain launched in Hanoi in 2018. By September 2024, the brand ran 1,304 stores across the country, according to its Hong Kong listing prospectus filed in early 2025.

    Mass-market tea and coffee chains in Southeast Asia now face heavier competition from local discounters and Chinese rivals copying the low-price franchise playbook. Mixue’s retreat from sheer store count growth signals that overseas networks cannot rely solely on relentless opening schedules to deliver profit.

    Investors now await Mixue’s updated capital-raising timeline in Hong Kong, where full-year store productivity figures will test whether the overseas pruning protected operating cash flow.

  • Milk Tea Giant Mixue Trims Overseas Presence, Closes 428 Stores – Pursues Optimized Operations in Indonesia and Vietnam

    Milk Tea Giant Mixue Trims Overseas Presence, Closes 428 Stores – Pursues Optimized Operations in Indonesia and Vietnam

    The world’s largest food and beverage chain, China’s Mixue, experienced a decrease in its international outlets in 2021. A significant number of these closures occurred in Indonesia and Vietnam, as the company strived to enhance its operations and efficiency.

    Strategic Store Closures

    While the exact number of closed outlets in Indonesia and Vietnam were not made public by Mixue, the company emphasised in its most recent financial statement a strategy to enhance the performance of their existing stores, to facilitate long-term, sustainable, and stable operations.

    Expansion in Other Territories

    Concurrently, Mixue expanded its reach in other countries including the United States and Kazakhstan, and launched its maiden stores in Malaysia and Thailand under a different brand, Lucky Cup.

    As of the end of last year, Mixue had a global presence with 59,823 outlets, the majority of which, 55,356, were located in mainland China. Indonesia and Vietnam are its two largest overseas markets. As of September 2024, Mixue had 1,304 outlets in Vietnam according to documents filed for its Hong Kong Initial Public Offering (IPO) in early 2025.

    Shifting Retail Strategy

    Mixue is in the process of transitioning from a traditional small-store format to larger outlets in Vietnam. The new locations will feature expanded preparation counters, street-facing storefronts, and more expansive floor areas than their predecessors. The company is also giving preference to prime locations for its outlets.

    The company made its debut in Vietnam in 2018, with an initial focus on Hanoi and the northern provinces. Since then, it has expanded its footprint nationwide. Some of its core offerings include lemonade, ice cream, milk tea, and fruit tea, all priced within an affordable range of VND10,000–30,000.

    Mixue credits its ability to maintain low prices to its control over the supply chain, which extends from raw material production and logistics to research and development and quality control.

    In a 2024 report, it was noted that Mixue has been instrumental in reshaping Vietnam’s milk tea market. The company has played a significant role in growing the affordable beverage segment and pursues an aggressive franchising strategy.

    Future Plans and Financial Performance

    Mixue has expressed plans to continue expanding its presence in Southeast Asia by further enhancing its franchisee network in the region.

    In terms of financial performance, Mixue saw a significant increase in its revenues and net profits last year. Revenues shot up by 35% to RMB33.56 billion (US$4.9 billion), and net profits rose by 33% to RMB5.93 billion.

    Questions & Answers

    What is Mixue’s current strategy in Vietnam?
    Mixue is transitioning from a traditional small-store format to larger outlets, with prime locations, expanded preparation counters, and larger floor areas.

    What are some of Mixue’s key products in Vietnam?
    Mixue’s core offerings in Vietnam include lemonade, ice cream, milk tea, and fruit tea.

    How has Mixue’s financial performance been in recent years?
    In the previous year, Mixue’s revenues increased by 35% to RMB33.56 billion (US$4.9 billion), and net profits rose by 33% to RMB5.93 billion.

  • Mixue: China’s Beloved Tea and Ice Cream Chain Brews Up Its First US Store in Hollywood

    Mixue: China’s Beloved Tea and Ice Cream Chain Brews Up Its First US Store in Hollywood

    The popular Chinese ice cream and tea chain, Mixue, has successfully established its first US location in Los Angeles, California, marking the brand’s debut in the American market.

    Offerings and Customisation

    Situated on the famous Hollywood Boulevard, the new Mixue store provides customers with the chain’s traditional menu. The offered choices encompass a variety of beverages including ice cream, pure tea, fruit drinks, milk tea, and coffee. One of the unique aspects of Mixue’s service is the ability for customers to personalize their drinks. They can adjust the sugar content to their liking and select from a range of toppings for certain beverages.

    Global Expansion

    Since its establishment in 1997, Mixue has been diligently working on its international growth. The brand expanded outside of China for the first time in 2018, with the opening of a store in Vietnam. Following this, Mixue entered several other markets, including Australia, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines.

    Growth Plans in the US

    The US is the next frontier for Mixue’s ongoing international expansion. The company has expressed its intention to enhance its presence in the American market further. A store in New York is anticipated to open soon as a part of this expansion plan.

    Zhang Hongfu, the Global CEO of Mixue, stated that the company is committed to its worldwide strategic growth. He added, “Our aim is to consistently broaden our store network, thereby enabling more local consumers to savour our high-quality, affordable drinks.”

    Presently, Mixue Group runs over 53,000 stores globally.

    Questions & Answers

    What does the Mixue menu offer in their new US store?
    The menu in the new Mixue US store consists of a range of beverages such as ice cream, pure tea, fruit drinks, milk tea, and coffee.

    Where did Mixue first expand to outside of China?
    The first overseas expansion of Mixue was in Vietnam, which took place in 2018.

    What are the future expansion plans of Mixue in the US?
    Mixue plans to strengthen its presence in the US with the opening of a new store in New York, which is expected to happen in the near future.

  • 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.

  • Chinese tea chain Mixue expands into South Korea and Japan

    Chinese tea chain Mixue expands into South Korea and Japan

    Mixue, a Chinese tea-based beverages brand that is set to list on the main board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, has recently entered the South Korean and Japanese markets.

    In the beginning of November, an account named “MIXUE.Japa” became active on Xiaohongshu, a lifestyle-sharing Chinese social media platform, where it released a brief opening notice and site selection of its first store in Japan. The location is Omotesandō, Tokyo, a business district as popular as Harajuku and Shibuya, focusing on high-end fashion and creative clothing.

    According to Chinese web users living in Omotesandō, this high-end location isn’t concentrated with Chinese people, and it seems to be inconsistent with the low-cost style of Mixue. However, MIXUE.Japan quickly said in the comment area that besides Tokyo, it will expand to Kyoto and other places in the future.

    The first store in South Korea of Mixue officially opened at the end of October. It is located near Chung-Ang University, where local students and Chinese students often gather. In the first three days of opening, attracted by free ice cream, the store was crowded with customers.

    Many Chinese students posted pictures of products from the store on social media. The types of drinks are basically the same as those in China, but the prices are slightly higher. Lemonade is around 8 yuan ($1.14), which is similar to the price of a bottle of water in Korea, and the most expensive drink costs less than 16 yuan. The store was opened by Chinese people, and most of the employees in the store are also Chinese, so ordering in Mandarin is possible.

    Another Chinese milk tea brand called Gongcha has opened over 700 stores in South Korea, with a price range between 23 yuan and 42 yuan. Other milk tea brands, such as COCO, Tiger Sugar and Guming, have also expanded their stores to South Korea, and their product prices are much higher than those in China.

    Entering the Japanese and South Korean markets for the first time, Mixue has experienced imperfections in its operations. Due to the long journey to purchase raw materials from China and inconvenient logistics, Mixue was often out of stock after opening, and a large number of packages in the stores are still in Chinese. MIXUE.Japan’s short promotional video was also criticized by social media users because the translation was not in place.

    Established in 1997, Mixue opened its first overseas store in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2018. By the end of March, 2022, Mixue had opened 249 stores in the country, with a total revenue of 9,290,400 yuan and a net profit of -322,000 yuan. The brand runs 317 stores in Indonesia, with an operating income of 25.4108 million yuan and a net profit of 2,235,500 yuan.