New Consumption Observation | Buying tea at midnight, multiple stores rushing to buy "one cup of autumn" becomes a ritual for consumers to start autumn
2024-08-08
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Cover News reporter Ouyang Hongyu
From a popular internet meme to an annual "fixed program", with the arrival of the Beginning of Autumn solar term, "the first cup of milk tea in autumn" has once again dominated social networks, driving a sales boom in the offline tea beverage market.
On August 8, several new tea brands released data showing that their store sales increased significantly on the day of the Beginning of Autumn, and many stores experienced a surge in orders.
According to Heytea data, sales at many of its stores increased by more than 600%; some stores received more than 350 orders within less than an hour of opening. In just half a day after opening, Nayuki's Tea's sales of all beverages increased by more than 200% year-on-year compared with the beginning of autumn last year, and takeaway orders from stores nationwide increased by more than 300%. Bawang Chaji's online mini-programs, takeaway platforms, and other platforms also suspended orders due to the surge in orders. Cha Baidao also had stores that received more than 1,000 orders per day.
The consumption boom triggered by "One Cup in Autumn" is also reflected on instant delivery platforms. According to Meituan group buying data, milk tea consumption nationwide reached an instant peak at 2 p.m. on the beginning of autumn, and the number of milk tea group buying orders increased by 156% compared with the same period last year. Hot-selling brands include Mixue Bingcheng and Shanghai Auntie. As a delivery cooperation platform for new tea brands such as Heytea and Bawang Chaji, SF Express's local data shows that the number of beverage delivery orders on that day increased by 121% year-on-year on the beginning of autumn last year.
After eating cold noodles at the beginning of summer and eating dumplings during the Chinese New Year, drinking milk tea at the beginning of autumn also reflects a sense of ritual for consumers. On social platforms, many netizens shared that ordering a cup of milk tea between friends is actually a way of comforting each other; colleagues can also be "milk tea partners" outside of work; and there are companies that place a one-time order for 700 cups of group meals as a benefit for employees at the beginning of autumn. There are even consumers who go to 24-hour stores overnight just to place an order at midnight to receive a special certificate made by the tea brand for the first customer to arrive at the store.
Obviously, this kind of fun and interaction also adds a stronger sense of atmosphere and ritual when consumers drink their first cup of milk tea in autumn. Industry insiders analyzed that as milk tea has become a social currency among young people, the emotional value given by this drink has supported the life background expected by contemporary young people. In addition, in recent years, the concept of "punk health" has gradually integrated into the lives of the younger generation. New tea brand joint ventures, holiday limited editions, seasonal limited editions and other new product activities have become an indispensable part of the social needs of young people who are eager to share, and have added a full sense of "ritual" to their lives.
