Explosion of Orders! Manner Coffee's "Free Cup with Takeout" Promotion Causes Multiple Store Closures

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Recently, the domestic specialty coffee chain Manner celebrated its seventh anniversary. For this occasion, Manner's official WeChat published a promotional post announcing "limited edition to-go cups, only available as gifts, not for sale, limited to 150,000 pieces," stating that starting from November 17th, for five consecutive days—"any order will receive a limited edition to-go cup worth 68 yuan."

Manner divided the activity into two phases, with Shanghai participating from November 17th to 21st, while other cities participated from November 22nd to 26th. This activity was limited to orders on the Meituan/Eleme delivery platforms; Manner's mini-program and in-store orders did not participate.

After the activity began, consumers flocked to place orders, causing many stores to experience order overloads. Recently, media reports have indicated that multiple Manner stores in various regions have experienced large-scale intermittent closures due to sudden order surges and insufficient supply.

From delivery platforms, we can see that some stores have already increased their minimum order amounts. Although most still maintain a minimum of 30 yuan, delivery fees have reached as high as 7.3 yuan, and a few stores have even raised their minimum order amounts to 50 yuan or 80 yuan.

Social Media Backlash

On social platforms like Xiaohongshu, discussions about Manner's current activity have been trending wildly. Some users shared their joy of getting great deals, while others complained about delivery orders being unreasonably canceled by stores and excessively long delivery times.

In posts related to this topic, there are numerous similar critical comments: "If you can't handle promotions, don't overextend yourself! ... These cups must be made of crystal," "I was angered by this marketing campaign early this morning," "Every time they use cheap cups for marketing," "All stores are closed! If you can't afford to play, don't play!" "I'll never buy from Manner again. Actually, their cost-performance ratio seems increasingly low,不如喝瑞幸" (Luckier Coffee)...

The Strategic Genius Behind the Controversy

In fact, this seemingly flawed marketing campaign is precisely where Manner's brilliance lies!

For most consumers, Manner is considered an offline consumption destination. After all, being able to get a reliable latte for just 10 yuan with your own cup is incredibly appealing! As a coffee consumer, I have also participated in many coffee brands' marketing activities. Most brand activities are conducted in physical stores, as for most brands, offline interactions can provide more direct experiential engagement.

However, Manner, which started as an offline business, made their seventh-anniversary activity exclusively online delivery-focused. This seemingly reveals Manner's "ambition" to accelerate development in the delivery market.

History of Marketing Challenges

According to reports, this is not the first time Manner has experienced a "marketing flop." Previously, Manner had also held multiple joint activities giving away merchandise, free coffee with your own cup, and benefit distribution events, which had also caused consumer dissatisfaction due to insufficient store supply, excessive queuing times, and limited gift inventory.

Public information shows that since opening its first store on Nanyang Road in 2015, Manner Coffee has now opened 538 stores nationwide. Calculating from the 194 stores at the end of last year, Manner has aggressively expanded by 344 stores this year alone.

This year has been one of continuous experimentation and breakthrough for Manner. With capital backing, Manner has been opening stores frantically. In early 2022, they achieved "3 days, 10 cities, 200 stores," officially launched delivery services, and their hang-drip coffee also became available on e-commerce platforms such as Douyin, JD.com, and Tmall.

They have also collaborated with L'Oréal's high-end skincare brand Helena, electric vehicle brand Tesla, and luxury brand LV. Perhaps adhering to the philosophy that like attracts like—both in objects and people—the same applies to brands, as Manner continuously cooperates with brands that place extreme importance on brand value. Recently, rumors in the coffee market about Manner's planned Hong Kong IPO have also been continuously circulating.

Operational Challenges

Industry insiders point out that Manner store equipment consists exclusively of semi-automatic coffee machines, which have a low degree of operational standardization but higher operational barriers. Correspondingly, baristas also require longer preparation times. Therefore, the company's fundamental structure doesn't support large-scale promotional marketing activities that trigger "instantaneous order explosions."

Image source: Internet

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