Introduction:The national soy milk brand Weiwei Soy Milk recently collaborated with the Summer Palace to launch a flagship store for handmade beverages and set a goal of expanding to ten thousand stores. In the highly competitive tea beverage market, this cross-industry move has sparked widespread discussion. This article analyzes whether it can successfully break through in the existing market from the perspectives of brand image, store design, product strategy, and franchise model, providing in-depth insights for readers interested in beverage trends.
Once a ubiquitous presence on streets across the country, Weiwei Soy Milk is now making a comeback in a new guise. On September 24, the brand officially announced through its channels the opening of its first nationwide co-branded flagship store. This collaboration is with the Summer Palace, focusing on handmade beverages, and revealed plans to roll out over ten thousand stores across the country in the future. In an era where the tea beverage market competition has reached a fever pitch, this move has undoubtedly attracted significant attention. However, whether childhood nostalgia and elements of Chinese fashion alone can help the brand successfully transform remains to be seen over time.
Located in the city center, the flagship store draws inspiration from traditional cultural elements. According to official information, the exterior of the store is designed based on an ancient-style seal, with its shape and patterns referencing the Qianlong Imperial Seal. The exterior walls use high-density perforation technology to showcase classic scenes of the Summer Palace, such as the Seventeen-Arch Bridge and the Long Corridor, displaying traditional Chinese aesthetics through dynamic light and shadow. Additionally, on the opening day, there was a special catwalk featuring models in qipao dresses holding beverages as part of the brand’s promotional activities.Reinforcing the market positioning of Chinese fashion and nostalgia.
As one of China's earliest well-known soy milk brands, Weiwei Soy Milk has been widely recognized since the 1990s. With its deeply ingrained advertising slogan "Weiwei Soy Milk, happiness in every sip," which aired during prime time for fifteen consecutive years, the brand established a leading position in China's soy milk market and was even dubbed the "Soy Milk King." However, with rising consumer health awareness and intensifying market competition, the soy milk category has seen the emergence of many new brands, such as Doubendou, Vitasoy, WeiYi, and Yonghe, along with major beverage companies launching their own soy milk-related products. This quickly transformed the once blue-ocean market into a red-ocean one.
Faced with such challenges, the Weiwei Group chose to explore a new path by attempting to enter the milk tea market through handmade beverage stores. But cross-industry operations are no easy feat. The underwhelming performance of Wahaha Milk Tea previously served as a wake-up call to the industry—relying solely on nostalgic sentiment is not enough to sustain long-term sales. In today’s tea beverage market, top-tier brands including HEYTEA, ChaBaidao, and Nayuki’s Tea are all committed to product differentiation and brand upgrading. How Weiwei Soy Milk can carve out a niche among so many competitors will be a major test.
Regarding market strategy, Zhao Huiqing, General Manager of the Weiwei Group, pointed out at the brand launch event that future stores will use soy milk as the base, combined with diverse flavor profiles, emphasizing both healthiness and deliciousness. The target customer group is locked in on young consumers. According to the brand’s plan, around 300 stores are expected to open this year, with a target of 500 next year, ultimately aiming for a nationwide presence and realizing the vision of ten thousand stores. Currently, about 600 franchisees have joined, and according to the franchising team, franchise fees were offered at a discount during the National Day period, accelerating expansion.
In terms of product offerings, the Weiwei Soy Milk milk tea store currently offers five series: soy milk series, smoothie series, fresh fruit tea series, creative coffee series, and specialty mix series. While some consumers have given positive feedback on the taste and packaging, many netizens believe the level of product innovation is limited, with the appearance and flavor failing to deliver surprises. Striking a balance between product development and consumer expectations will be key to the brand’s future development.
It’s worth mentioning that the brand’s flagship store briefly closed from October 18 to 24 for what the officials described as internal upgrades and adjustments, hoping to drive comprehensive improvements in products and services through this round of optimization. According to data from Zhaomen Catering, currently only Mixue Ice Cream & Tea has over ten thousand stores nationwide, and its success is largely built on dense deployments in second- and third-tier cities. For Weiwei Soy Milk, how it can precisely position itself and expand effectively in the tea beverage race still depends on ongoing observation and strategic adjustments.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
