ChaYanYueSe, Once "Cursed" to Never Leave Changsha, Officially Announces Expansion to Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai Region!

From Local Doubts to National Expansion: Cha Yan Yue Se's Remarkable Journey

Cha Yan Yue Se, once dismissed by industry analysts as unlikely to expand beyond the Changsha region, has made significant moves in recent months. In April, it announced stores in Chongqing, and in June it announced stores in Nanjing.

Internal Controversy and Public Scrutiny

Last December, several employees of Cha Yan Yue Se revealed online that their monthly salaries were less than 3,000 yuan. Founder Liang Li responded that wages were paid based on work performance, and then took the unusual public relations step of directly contacting some employees and asking them to leave, further inflaming staff sentiment. This set off a series of internal disputes that repeatedly trended on social platforms.

As more employees joined the dispute and concerns about the brand's reputation grew, Cha Yan Yue Se issued an emergency response stating that some employees' low wages were due to adjustments in the salary calculation algorithm. Liang Li subsequently issued an internal apology letter. Although he apologized, the episode also indirectly revealed that Cha Yan Yue Se was facing significant operational difficulties.

Expansion Challenges and Strategic Concerns

Following these incidents, industry analysts believed Cha Yan Yue Se's problems might be tied to its high-density store placement strategy in Changsha. They suggested that the company's salary levels, management shortcomings, and supply chain limitations would constrain national expansion, making it hard to move beyond Changsha. Founder Liang Li had also stated at the FBI 2020 Food & Beverage Innovation Forum that Cha Yan Yue Se didn't want to expand nationally because doing so would likely lead to failure.

Although Cha Yan Yue Se had already opened stores outside Changsha before this, they were limited to nearby cities like Wuhan and Changde. Its furthest expansion was in Shenzhen, but only in pop-up store format, which closed after three months. This showed that leaving Changsha for national expansion presented significant pressure, explaining the absence of major breakthroughs.

Breaking Boundaries: Chongqing and Beyond

Just when everyone assumed Cha Yan Yue Se's development had reached its limit, on April 2nd this year the brand officially announced: "Next stop: Chongqing," opening not one but four stores at once, with the locations set to open successively after June 1st. The news delighted many Cha Yan Yue Se fans in Chongqing. Through these moves, Cha Yan Yue Se began to challenge the industry's predictions about its limitations.

Regarding this genuine long-distance venture, everyone speculated whether Cha Yan Yue Se would expand further. At the time, the brand said such plans were still under consideration, not ruling out possibilities in provinces like Sichuan and Jiangsu, but it would first assess team capabilities and take public suggestions into account.

The Nanjing Surprise

It turned out there was more to that statement. On June 15th, Cha Yan Yue Se officially announced it would launch in Nanjing that August, marking its first entry into the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai region. Shanghai residents nearby expressed their excitement, and many urged the brand to accelerate its plans, especially since Nanjing is only a 2-hour journey from Shanghai.

Strategic Reflection and Future Outlook

Previously, Cha Yan Yue Se had reflected on its blind store openings in Changsha and indicated it would adjust its early expansion strategy. "Decisions made during expansion were as foolish as having water in the brain, truly stupid. We're closing some stores in Changsha that were too densely placed and unreasonable, and entering new cities with a lighter approach."

Image source: Internet

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