Introduction:As price wars in the coffee market continue to intensify, Xingyun Ka is attracting consumers with its affordable price of 6.6 yuan. However, in Zhengzhou, some store signs have been changed to "Xingyun Bei" (Lucky Cup). This wave of renaming has drawn public attention — is it a defensive trademark strategy by the brand, or is there more to the story? This article delves into the reasons behind the sign changes and provides key points for consumers to identify the differences.

Amid the ongoing 9.9-yuan coffee price war, Xingyun Ka has chosen to stand out with a 6.6-yuan offer, successfully appealing to budget-conscious consumers. Following the launch of this promotion, many cost-savvy customers rushed to try it out, only to be surprised to find that some store signs had quietly been changed to "Xingyun Bei."

These stores, located in Zhengzhou, Henan, not only retain the original red-themed decor and Poker King logo, but also have nearly identical layouts to the original Xingyun Ka outlets — the only difference being the store name. This high degree of similarity often confuses unsuspecting customers, even leading some to question whether they’ve entered the wrong shop.

Given that Mixue Ice Cream & Tea’s headquarters is based in Zhengzhou and is the parent company of Xingyun Ka, netizens speculate that these "Xingyun Bei" stores are unlikely to be counterfeit shops. A more plausible explanation is that the brand is employing a defensive trademark strategy — registering similar names to protect the rights of the main brand.

According to the Trademark Law, if a registered trademark has not been actually used for three consecutive years, any third party can apply for its cancellation. It is common industry practice for brands to register a series of similar names — for example, Lao Gan Ma also owns trademarks such as "Lao Qian Ma" and "Lao Yi Ma" — to prevent others from riding on their brand’s coattails through similar names.

Experts point out that Xingyun Ka may be using the actual operation of "Xingyun Bei" stores to maintain a record of trademark usage, thereby avoiding the cancellation of the main brand due to non-use. While this strategy is legal and commonly used, consumer education remains essential.

For consumers, the key to identification lies in paying attention to the store’s decor style and logo design. The Poker King emblem of Xingyun Ka and Xingyun Bei is exactly the same, and the red-dominated visual design is also identical. If you notice a different store name but other elements are highly similar, it is likely just a differently named outlet of the same brand.

Industry insiders suggest that if brands make such strategic adjustments, they could post explanatory notices in prominent locations within the stores to help consumers understand the reasons for the name change, thereby reducing unnecessary confusion. Such transparency can also help maintain brand credibility and customer relations.

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