China Post's "POSTCOFFEE" Trademark Application Rejected

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China Post's "Post Coffee" Trademark Application Rejected

Recently, the Tianyancha App shows that the trademark process for multiple "Post Office Coffee POST COFFEE" trademarks applied by China Post Group Co., Ltd. has changed to rejection notification issuance. The trademark was applied for on April 1, 2022, with international classifications including convenient food, catering accommodation, and alcohol.

As everyone knows the importance of trademarks, trademark registration is not something that happens overnight - the application process requires a long time cycle. Once a carefully designed trademark is rejected during application registration, I imagine great frustration would be inevitable. Just like Post Office Coffee, which must be quite frustrated now~

According to reports, this February, China Post's first coffee shop officially opened in Guomao Building, Xiamen, Fujian, marking its official entry into the coffee market. Post Office Coffee subsequently launched in three cities: Xiamen, Nanjing, and Quanzhou, then entered Beijing at the end of July. In just half a year, it has gradually established 6 stores in 4 cities nationwide. This is Post Office Coffee's first independent coffee store separate from traditional post office business halls, and also marks Post Office Coffee's first entry into first-tier cities.

Post Office Coffee's products include basic categories such as Americano and latte, as well as several specialty coffee drinks, with prices ranging from 12.8 yuan/cup to 28.8 yuan/cup. Additionally, the cultural and creative area of Post Office Coffee displays China Post postcards, envelopes, cups, and other cultural products with China Post characteristics, as well as tea and various flavored cakes and desserts, attracting many consumers. The semi-open store is filled with rich postal elements - slightly old-fashioned mailman bicycles, green mailboxes paired with a steaming cup of Post Office Coffee, creating a perfect fusion of postal service and coffee here.

Traditional Industry Meets Modern Coffee Culture

Li Wenyao, director of China Post's Wangjing Post Office Branch in Chaoyang District, stated, "Traditional industries need to inject fresh vitality. We hope to use the form of Post Office Coffee to inject postal culture and elements into it, letting more young people understand post office culture."

The popularity of the coffee track continues, and China Post's testing of new business formats is in operation. For many years, the daily lives of Chinese people have been inextricably linked with postal services. Playing this "nostalgia card" has already made some China Post coffee stores become internet celebrity check-in spots, indicating that this business approach might be feasible. Now that media reports have emerged about trademark registration rejection, some netizens have expressed their support: "Why was it rejected?" "Comprehensive business coverage is quite good!" "The post office opening a coffee shop, I think it's very good! Next time I go to Xiamen, I must try it!"

Expansion Plans and Market Challenges

Dong Kexin, co-founder and CMO of Post Office Coffee, stated in a media interview that current Post Office Coffee focuses on three types of locations: CBD stores, scenic area stores, and campus stores. She also said, "In the future, we will continue to deploy in the national market, will accelerate store expansion, and plan to open 100 stores by the end of the year!"

Now netizens are pointing out contradictions: "After so much marketing, the trademark still hasn't been approved - are brother units slapping each other in the face?" "Why would a perfectly good postal service register a coffee trademark? I don't understand." "I don't understand how postal service and coffee are connected."

Cross-Industry Trend in Coffee Market

The boom in the coffee market continues to hold great appeal. It's not just China Post applying for coffee trademarks. Li-Ning, Xtep, and even Tongrentang have all joined the fray. There were also reports about Huawei applying for coffee trademarks. Just yesterday, media reported that Oriental Selection and HeFu Noodles are also applying for trademark registration. The applications for all the above coffee trademarks still show "waiting for substantive examination."

Various industries are entering the coffee business - is it really that easy to do? From Xtep, Li-Ning, China Post, Tongrentang to Oriental Selection and HeFu Noodles, giants from all walks of life are cross-industry opening coffee shops. Which one are you more optimistic about?

Image source: Internet

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