Introduction:How did Luckin Coffee rise from financial crisis to market leadership in such a short time? This article takes an in-depth look at its ten most popular drinks, including blockbusters like the Oat Milk Latte and Cloud Macchiato, and thoroughly examines the brand’s entire journey—from teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, surpassing Starbucks in store count, to precision marketing and product innovation—helping readers understand the key strategies and product appeal behind its success.
In recent years, Luckin Coffee’s transformation story has been nothing short of a business miracle. From the 2019 financial fraud scandal and delisting, to successfully completing debt restructuring in 2022, it not only resolved the crisis but also leapt to become China’s largest coffee chain by number of stores. According to its 2021 financial report, total net revenue reached 7.965 billion RMB, a year-on-year increase of 97.5%, with 1,221 new stores added for the year, bringing the total to 6,024 stores—surpassing Starbucks China at the time.
This transformation would not have been possible without Luckin’s precise operations in both product and marketing. So, which drinks supported the brand’s comeback? We’ve compiled a list of the ten most popular coffees at Luckin right now, including:Oat Milk Latte, Cheese Latte, Barista Style Latte, Velvet Latte, Americano, Yirgacheffe Dirty, Cloud Macchiato, Meteorite Latte, Biluochun Spring Latte, and Okinawa Brown Sugar Velvet Latte, each representing a significant turning point or innovative attempt by the brand.
These drinks may not be the ultimate premium offerings in the eyes of coffee connoisseurs, but they accurately capture mass taste preferences—especially the Chinese fondness for “sweet and milky” flavors—while remaining affordable, successfully attracting a broad consumer base. From the classicAmericanoto the seasonalYirgacheffe Dirty, to the viral hit launched in collaboration with Coconut Tree Brand,Cloud Macchiato, each has a brand strategy worth savoring.
Looking back to 2017, Luckin, just 18 months old, went public on the U.S. stock market at lightning speed, only to self-report a 2.2 billion RMB financial fraud scandal in 2020, promptly facing delisting and a major management overhaul. At its darkest hour, many thought Luckin was finished—yet one drinkOat Milk Lattebecame the turning point.
Although Luckin had lost the trust of capital markets, consumer market reactions hadn’t completely frozen. Many users maintained their consumption habits due to previous promotional experiences. Seizing this, Luckin stabilized its core base while launching a coconut-flavored coffee aligned with health trends—freshly pressed oat milk paired with rich coffee, creating the new “Oat Milk Latte.” This drink quickly became an internet sensation, sparking industry imitation, and remains one of Luckin’s top-selling products to this day.
The success of the Oat Milk Latte wasn’t just about the product itself, but also its operational strategy. Luckin deliberately controlled supply, often keeping the drink “sold out” in its early days, successfully generating buzz and desire. Additionally, Luckin’s choice of brand ambassadors demonstrated sharp market instincts. Just before the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, it signed then-non-medalist Eileen Gu, and later capitalized on her gold medal momentum to launch related products, once again stirring up market chatter.
After stabilizing the mass market, Luckin further expanded to meet the deeper needs of coffee enthusiasts by launchingthe SOE Specialty Coffee Series, featuring espresso and lattes made from single-origin beans such as Yirgacheffe, Yunnan, Huakui 5.0, and Heaven Estate—all priced within an accessible range. Even though Huakui 5.0 sparked some debate in coffee circles, it still successfully attracted many first-time specialty coffee drinkers, elevating the brand’s tier.
Another turning point was the collaboration with national brand Coconut Tree Brand on theCloud Macchiato. This drink features a special “cloud-like” velvety milk foam, surpassing 660,000 cups sold on its first day, once again proving Luckin’s vision in cross-industry collaborations and product innovation. Such strategies not only increased brand talkability but also broadened its consumer reach.
Beyond creating viral hits, Luckin has gradually shifted its overall brand tone from “cheap fast-food coffee” to a “youth lifestyle brand,” continuously accelerating new launches and adjusting flavor profiles to align with consumer taste trends. Its product strategy clearly caters to Chinese dietary habits, emphasizing sweetness, milkiness, and layered flavors—making coffee not just a pick-me-up, but part of leisure enjoyment.
In summary, Luckin’s comeback in recent years relied not on a single bestseller, but on synchronized transformation across financial restructuring, brand positioning, product innovation, and marketing strategy. From the Oat Milk Latte to the Cloud Macchiato, from the Americano to the specialty SOE, each drink carries the brand’s strategic thinking at different stages.
For coffee enthusiasts or industry observers, Luckin’s case offers rich insights: how to find opportunities in crises, how to connect with consumers emotionally through products, and how to achieve a second spring through market segmentation and differentiated positioning. This is not just the struggle story of a coffee brand, but a microcosm of modern corporate transformation.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
