Introduction:With the arrival of the Start of Autumn solar term, the tea and coffee markets have entered their annual peak sales period. Luckin Coffee saw a significant increase in orders after launching a new line of light milk teas, with some stores even having to implement crowd control measures. However, under the intense work rhythm, an employee altercation broke out at a store in Zhaoqing, Guangdong, highlighting the seasonal operational pressures. This article delves into the background of the incident, the current state of store operations, and provides practical insights on managing business during beverage peak seasons.
As one of the 24 solar terms, Start of Autumn symbolizes the official beginning of autumn and also marks an important annual milestone in consumer markets. In recent years, “the first cup of milk tea in autumn” has become a consumption habit for many young people and a key focus of annual marketing for the beverage industry.
To prepare for the surge in orders brought by Start of Autumn, many tea beverage brands adjusted their staffing and supply configurations in advance. On-site observations showed that many stores began preparing inventory the night before, with packaged cups and materials even stacking up nearly to the ceiling. On the day of operation, employees arrived early to prepare essential ingredients such as fruits and toppings, ready to handle the incoming customer rush.
However, consumer enthusiasm often exceeded expectations. On the day of Start of Autumn, tea beverage stores across the country were busy from the early morning, with receipt and label printers operating non-stop. Staff, under the dual pressure of customers and delivery personnel, were almost continuously making drinks at an extremely fast pace.
This wave of the “autumn cup” trend not only impacted tea beverage brands but also kept the coffee market bustling. Among them, Luckin Coffee, having launched a new series of light milk teas this year, found its stores not only offering coffee but also competing in the milk tea category, resulting in a significant year-on-year increase in overall order volume.
However, some Luckin stores underestimated the order increase, leading to staff shortages. As a result, when orders surged, they had to resort to temporary crowd control measures such as cutting off water or stopping ice additions to ease production pressure. Even so, employees still faced sustained high-intensity workloads, which easily led to accumulated stress and fatigue.
In such an environment, even minor frictions can escalate into larger conflicts. According to media reports, a recent employee physical altercation occurred at a Luckin store in Zhaoqing, Guangdong. Video footage from the scene shows a male employee and a female employee initially arguing, which then escalated uncontrollably into physical contact. The scene briefly turned chaotic, but fortunately other colleagues stepped in to mediate, preventing serious injuries.
It is understood that the store’s management confirmed the incident did occur, but the specific reasons have not been publicly disclosed. They only mentioned that the matter has been reported to the company’s public relations department for handling. Both involved employees were found to be unharmed with no obvious injuries after examination.
Although the Start of Autumn solar term has passed and the “autumn cup” craze is gradually subsiding, the challenges for industry practitioners are far from over. The upcoming Qixi Festival will spark another sales peak, and stores will continue to face the dual pressures of high order volumes and staff scheduling.
This incident reflects that when facing sudden surges in seasonal demand, the beverage industry must not only adjust operations but also pay more attention to managing employee psychology and workload to prevent similar conflicts from happening again.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
