Introduction:Manner Coffee launched a limited “takeaway cup” delivery giveaway campaign to celebrate its seventh anniversary. Originally intended to boost online orders, it instead caused stores nationwide to be overwhelmed with orders, leading to intermittent closures and surging delivery fees and minimum order thresholds. This article delves into the origins, impact, and controversies of the campaign, examines the critical success factors of its takeaway market strategy, and includes practical consumer advice along with industry background.

As it entered its seventh year, Manner Coffee officially announced a “limited-edition takeaway cup” giveaway campaign, emphasizing that the cups were for free and not for sale, with a total limit of 150,000 units. According to official information, from November 17th for five consecutive days, consumers placing orders via the Meituan or Ele.me platforms could receive a takeaway cup worth 68 RMB for free. However, this seemingly attractive marketing strategy triggered a series of supply and service issues in practice.

The campaign was divided into two phases: the first wave ran from November 17th to 21st and was limited to the Shanghai area; the second wave took place from November 22nd to 26th and expanded to other cities across the country. It is important to note that the campaign was only applicable to orders placed through delivery platforms—orders placed via Manner’s own mini-program or at physical stores did not qualify. This design led many consumers to flock to the delivery platforms, resulting in an instant system overload.

As the campaign went live, a massive influx of orders put unprecedented pressure on many stores. According to media reports, numerous Manner outlets in various cities experienced widespread and intermittent temporary closures due to insufficient supply capacity. Additionally, some delivery platform stores quietly adjusted their minimum order amounts—while most remained at 30 RMB, some were raised to 50 RMB or even 80 RMB, and delivery fees generally increased to 7.3 RMB, with some stores even seeing fees climb higher.

On social platforms such as Xiaohongshu, discussions about the campaign quickly surged. Many consumers shared their joy at successfully “getting a freebie,” posting photos of the gifted cups and order records; however, there were also numerous negative reviews, including complaints about orders being arbitrarily canceled, excessively long delivery delays, and even reports of stores outright shutting down order-taking. User comments included: “If you can’t handle the campaign, don’t try to show off—this cup is probably made of crystal,” “Every time they use cheap cups for marketing,” “All the stores are closed now—don’t play if you can’t deliver!” These reflected strong dissatisfaction with the brand’s operational management during the event.

However, this controversial marketing campaign also highlighted Manner’s strategic direction in expanding its takeaway market. As a boutique coffee brand primarily focused on physical stores, Manner has traditionally attracted customers with in-store benefits such as a 10 RMB discount for bringing your own cup. This seventh-anniversary campaign, which was entirely centered around delivery platforms, revealed the brand’s ambition to further invest in the takeaway market.

In fact, this is not the first time Manner has faced challenges during large-scale marketing campaigns. Previous collaborations, free coffee promotions for customers who brought their own cups, and various benefit giveaways have all sparked consumer dissatisfaction due to issues such as insufficient store supply, excessively long queues, and limited quantities of giveaways. The cup giveaway campaign’s overwhelming response and subsequent store closures once again brought its operational and supply chain bottlenecks to the forefront.

Public data shows that since opening its first store on NanYang Road in Shanghai in 2015, Manner Coffee has now expanded to 538 stores nationwide. Compared to the 194 stores at the end of last year, the brand expanded by a significant 344 stores in 2023 alone. Driven by capital, the brand has not only accelerated store openings but also set an expansion target in early 2022 of “3 days, 10 cities, 200 stores,” while simultaneously launching a delivery service and expanding e-commerce channels such as Douyin, JD.com, and Tmall to sell products like pour-over coffee drippers.

In addition, Manner has actively engaged in cross-industry collaborations with several high-end brands, including L'Oréal’s Helena Rubinstein, electric vehicle brand Tesla, and luxury brand LV, signaling its intention to elevate its brand image and market positioning. Recently, there have been rumors that Manner is planning to go public in Hong Kong, demonstrating its ambition for further expansion.

However, industry insiders analyze that most Manner stores are equipped with semi-automatic coffee machines. Compared to fully automatic equipment, these have a higher operational threshold and lower standardization, requiring baristas to spend more time and skill in brewing, thereby limiting overall production efficiency. This equipment setup makes it difficult for Manner to effectively handle “instant surge”-style marketing campaigns, and it contributed significantly to the execution difficulties faced during this campaign.

In summary, although Manner’s seventh-anniversary takeaway cup giveaway campaign attracted considerable attention and a flood of orders in a short period, it also exposed multiple challenges including supply chain management, coordination with delivery platforms, and store operations amid rapid expansion. For consumers, when participating in similar marketing activities, it is advisable to check store operating status, delivery thresholds, and minimum order amounts in advance to avoid disappointment. At the same time, this incident serves as a reminder to brands that while pursuing visibility and market growth, robust operational management and supply capabilities are key to long-term success.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.