Introduction:Luckin Coffee has frequently launched new products in recent years, but the Light Coconut Milk series has become a rare “Waterloo” case. The Iced Coconut Americano was criticized as tasting like “dishwater,” while the Light Coconut Light Milk Tea was also said to be far inferior in flavor compared to classic market offerings like Assam Milk Tea. This article delves into the reasons behind the poor market performance of these two products, analyzing everything from taste acceptance and brand strategy to consumer feedback, helping readers understand the challenges and considerations behind new product launches in chain coffee shops.
Luckin Coffee is known for its rapid iteration of new products, with new flavors debuting almost every week, attracting many customers seeking novelty. However, innovation is not always successful, and the launch of the Light Coconut Milk series turned out to be particularly awkward. Since its debut, this series — which includes the Iced Coconut Light Milk Tea and Iced Coconut Americano — has received generally lukewarm market responses, even sparking collective complaints from both consumers and baristas.
The Light Coconut Light Milk Tea was rated by many first-time tasters as “not even as good as Assam Milk Tea,” lacking distinctiveness and featuring a monotonous flavor profile. Meanwhile, the subsequently launched Iced Coconut Americano, which attempted to ride on the popularity of Luckin’s hit “Iced Coconut Latte,” was jokingly referred to by consumers as “dishwater version of the Iced Coconut Latte.” Its taste was deemed weak and bland, falling far short of being comparable to the flagship Iced Coconut series.
In fact, shortly after the Light Coconut Milk series hit the market, its sales performance fell short of expectations. Failing to catch the wave of current popular co-branded marketing campaigns and lacking any buzzworthy angle, the Light Coconut Milk drinks were quickly forgotten by the market. Many stores sold only a handful of cups per day, leading to situations where opened containers of Light Coconut Milk couldn’t be used up before their expiration dates and had to be discarded, resulting in significant material waste.
To reduce losses, Luckin tried switching the original 1-kilogram packs of Light Coconut Milk to 200-gram mini packs, hoping to control waste by reducing the amount used per serving. But even so, with the successive launch of winter-limited hot drinks and a new wave of co-branded products, the Light Coconut Milk series was even more quickly relegated to the “forgotten corner” of the market, with sales remaining persistently low.
According to feedback from store employees, due to poor sales, ingredients for the Light Coconut Milk series often expired before they could be used up and had to be poured out. Some stores even sold only two or three cups of related drinks per day, which not only resulted in resource waste but also affected inventory management efficiency. Ultimately, the brand decided to completely remove these two products from shelves and required all stores to dispose of any unused materials after closing.
On the day of the delisting, many employees were busy clearing out inventory, pouring leftover ingredients down the drain and stacking empty packaging boxes in sinks — a scene that staff familiar with Luckin’s internal operations had long since grown used to. Interestingly, consumers largely supported the product’s removal, with some even saying, “They’re not selling the Iced Coconut Americano anymore? Well, that’s fine,” showing the general market apathy toward such poorly received flavors.
Industry insiders analyze that the failure of the Light Coconut Milk series, aside from issues with taste acceptance itself, also reflects the importance for chain coffee brands in striking a balance between innovation and market demand when developing new products. Even with a successful element like “coconut,” without proper product pairing and sufficient market promotion, it’s very difficult to create another hit product.
For consumers, this incident also serves as a reminder: when trying new flavors, it’s wise to refer to actual user reviews and flavor descriptions to avoid unpleasant surprises. For coffee industry professionals, it’s an important case study in learning from market feedback and adjusting strategies accordingly.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
