Multiple Cities See Fake Luckin Coffee?! Is It Reliable to Franchise with Xingmao Coffee?

Recently, a netizen posted on social media about spotting a "new Luckin Coffee" opening with 30% off everything. But just as they were about to walk in, they took a closer look — why was the logo a cat???

The store uses the same business-blue brand color and a nearly identical decor style,

even the staff uniforms look strikingly familiar,

and the name rides the coattails too... LUCKY CAT COFFEE...

At this point, even Luckin's own team would probably need a moment to check whether this was one of their stores.

Netizens from other regions quickly chimed in, saying their towns have Lucky Cat Coffee too — and sometimes with a genuine Luckin not far away, or even directly across the street.

All of this brings to mind the once-ubiquitous "Gong Cha" bubble tea craze. What stuck with me most was a 200-meter street with three Gong Cha shops, their logos differing only in the subtlest ways.

As for which one was the "real" Gong Cha — impossible to tell. Faced with that scene, I simply turned around and went next door for dumplings.

According to netizens, Lucky Cat Coffee locations started appearing across the country this April. At first, many people assumed Luckin had rebranded; others wondered if it was a new sub-brand.

Looking at the brand's store placement, it seems aimed squarely at consumers who want Luckin but might be fooled by the look-alike storefront. Yes, customers would figure out it isn't Luckin the moment they open the app inside — but getting them through the door already creates the chance to win them over.

After all, with 30% off everything, unless you're specifically after Luckin's brand or a particular drink, most people would probably think: "It's cheap, I'm already here — might as well try it."

Understandably, netizens have been tagging Luckin Coffee — without an official statement, plenty of people could genuinely be misled. Luckin's team did quickly reply to one of the posts:

If the brand really has no connection to Luckin, an official clarification would be welcome. Some netizens claim the company behind it has received funding from a NASDAQ-listed firm and is a legitimate business — which prompted others to start asking about franchising opportunities (and hopefully they'll heed the advice of one particularly blunt reply).

Once more, with feeling: be extremely cautious about franchising with a brand that hasn't established itself yet!!! Setting aside whether a new franchisee can even turn a profit, a brand that opens franchising before its foundations are solid is worth serious scrutiny — for its reputation as much as anything else.

Image source: Internet

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