Introduction:Recently, fruit and vegetable beverages have become the new darlings of the market. Luckin Coffee was found to have internal system entries related to "Kale Light Body Fruit and Vegetable Tea," including questions and ingredient lists, sparking speculation about its potential cross-industry expansion into the fruit and vegetable beverage sector. This article outlines the sequence of events, analyzes feedback from store employees and consumers, and explores the opportunities and challenges behind the brand's expansion.
Over the past year, vegetable-based drinks, represented by kale, have made a surprising rise in the tea beverage market. Multiple chain brands have launched innovative fruit and vegetable recipes, successfully attracting young consumers to try something new. Amid this trend, even the coffee chain brand Luckin has been found to possibly be quietly laying out a new category.
Recently, an update to Luckin’s internal operational system has drawn attention. Employees discovered questions related to "Kale Light Body Fruit and Vegetable Tea" in the app’s question bank and store material lists, covering drink preparation steps, ingredient compositions, and estimated launch timelines. More notably, backend data from some stores showed that newly added ingredients included "frozen kale composite fruit and vegetable juice beverage" and "kale and green grape composite juice." These details have led the market to speculate that the brand may soon launch a brand-new series of fruit and vegetable teas.
According to Luckin’s usual practice, the operational question bank and internal material lists often provide an early indication of new product plans for the coming weeks. The leaked information suggests that the brand may be preparing to cross over into the fruit and vegetable beverage market, complementing its existing coffee and fruit tea product lines.
However, this potential new product plan has not received unanimous praise. Some store employees are concerned about insufficient freezer space. On-site photos show that the freezers under the counters are already packed with coffee syrup, milk, thick milk, various concentrates, and even baked goods, leaving almost no room for new ingredients.
Some employees bluntly stated that ingredients such as thick milk and juice are already tightly packed in the refrigerators. Adding fruit and vegetable juices would create storage challenges. Some have suggested that the brand remove products with poor sales to make room for new ingredients, while others believe using frozen composite juices is more convenient than juicing fresh produce themselves.
Consumer feedback is also divided. Some netizens questioned whether Luckin should focus on its core coffee business, criticizing the brand for trying to "grab a piece of everything without seriously refining its coffee," and arguing that it should first improve the flavor of its existing products rather than blindly expanding into new categories. Especially given that recently launched fruit coffees and reformulated products have not gained market approval, users are even more eager for the brand to return to its core strengths.
Industry observers point out that while fruit and vegetable teas carry the concept of healthy light meals, they have higher requirements for storage conditions and ingredient freshness. If Luckin does indeed move into this field, it will need to address challenges such as cold chain management, product differentiation, and consumer education. The currently leaked name "Kale Light Body Fruit and Vegetable Tea" may hint at the brand’s intention to focus on low-calorie, health-oriented concepts, but whether it will ultimately succeed remains to be seen.
Based on the current information, it is still uncertain whether Luckin will officially launch a fruit and vegetable tea series, but the changes in its internal systems have already attracted significant market attention. If the crossover proves successful in the future, it could bring new growth opportunities for the brand, but it may also face the dual challenges of market acceptance and operational management.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
