Is Luckin Coffee Failing? Return of Bestselling Product Sparks Complaints...

In the past couple of days, the return of Luckin Coffee's popular product has triggered a wave of complaints from netizens...

Riding on the popularity of their Coconut Latte, Luckin launched their Zero-Fat Young Coconut Cold Brew Coffee at the end of May last year. On the very next day of its launch, many customers reported that they couldn't buy it at all! It was either marked as discontinued or not yet stocked... Those who did manage to purchase it also commented: "Zero-fat doesn't mean zero-sugar, that's just deceptive!"

Perhaps because coconut-based products were simply too popular at the time, this product was already discontinued before many customers had the chance to buy it or even learn about its existence.

Until recently, when young coconut water regained popularity, Luckin Coffee once again seized this momentum, collaborating with the EDG team after a round of mystery marketing, and relaunched their Young Coconut Cold Brew in the past couple of days.

Presumably, many people don't have strong impressions of this product, and coconut water coffee has been popular for quite some time. Additionally, Luckin introduced EDG limited-edition cup sleeves and used "zero-fat, zero-lactose" as promotional points, which immediately attracted many customers to try the product upon its return.

However, the reactions from most customers after trying it... "Too sweet!" "The taste is so complex..."

Perhaps it's because the espresso base used by Luckin doesn't pair well with the taste of this young coconut water itself, or maybe Luckin's young coconut water is too sweet, losing the characteristic light sweetness of young coconut water. As a result, many customers felt that the sweetness of the coconut water overpowered the coffee flavor.

Some netizens shared that a Luckin store manager in a group chat mentioned needing to remind customers that this product is overly sweet, hoping to avoid negative reviews... Besides being too sweet, some customers also noted that perhaps the coffee itself had noticeable acidity, and when paired with the unique fermented aroma and sweetness of this young coconut water, the taste profile became somewhat difficult to describe due to its complexity.

Beyond the coffee taste, many customers who went specifically for the EDG cup sleeves expressed disappointment: there were no cup sleeves at all!! Although EDG brought back the young coconut cold brew, not every city had the EDG cup sleeves... Only Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, and Chongqing had EDG cup sleeves, and they were limited in quantity, with each store receiving only a very small amount. Some stores in these cities didn't even receive the related cup sleeves.

Customer Reactions and Health Considerations

Regarding this return of the Young Coconut Cold Brew, many netizens expressed that this product has lost the soul of young coconut, while also stating that Luckin's scarcity marketing has become increasingly outrageous. While it might be acceptable for drinks, even cup sleeves are subject to this tactic... Of course, there are still customers who enjoy this Young Coconut Cold Brew, claiming it's their "perfect match" because young coconut water coffee is low-calorie and healthy!

The reason why young coconut water beverages have gained popularity in recent years is largely because people are becoming more health-conscious and seeking natural, healthy, and distinctive beverages. Compared to other fruit juice-based specialty coffees, coconut gives people a sense of health and freshness. The light taste and aroma of young coconut water itself don't overpower the coffee's flavor, while also adding subtle sweetness and a gentle coconut aroma to the coffee.

Without added sugar, young coconut water can make the taste of Americano/black coffee more acceptable to the general public. The combination of low-calorie, health, and uniqueness quickly won over many customers. At the same time, the ingredients are easy to obtain, and the preparation method is very simple, which led to a prolonged period of DIY variations among netizens!

Regarding the promotion of young coconut water, many businesses focus on "zero-fat, zero-sugar" and health benefits with low calories as their selling points. However, it's important to note that "zero-fat, zero-sugar" only applies to young coconut water itself having no fat and no sucrose, but it doesn't mean that beverages/specialty drinks made with young coconut water won't have sweeteners added other than sucrose.

Because most consumers need to find a coffee product acceptable to their palate, the addition of sweetness is essential. Although sucrose isn't used, the intake of sweeteners can increase appetite and hunger. If one cannot control their appetite properly, there's a potential risk of increased obesity.

For Luckin's relaunched product, it only has fewer calories than other products and cannot be considered a healthy beverage for regular consumption. If you truly want to drink low-calorie, healthy coffee, sugar-free Americano/hand-drip coffee is a good choice. Alternatively, buying a fresh young coconut and adding a shot of espresso to it would be even healthier!

Image source: Xiaohongshu

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee's private WeChat account: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473