Introduction:During recent promotional events such as "Crazy Saturday," chain tea beverage brands were flooded with a massive influx of free redemption orders, leading to dozens or even nearly a hundred sealed milk teas being left unclaimed at some stores late at night. This article delves into the issue of beverage waste behind zero-yuan promotions, analyzing the challenges faced by store staff, platforms, and consumers, and offers practical suggestions to reduce needless resource consumption.
The recently concluded "Crazy Saturday" promotion once again plunged nationwide chain tea beverage outlets into an order tsunami, with stores of brands like Luckin, Heytea, Guming, Auntie Huoshang, and Mixue Ice Cream & Tea receiving a huge number of free redemption orders. Staff members were busy brewing milk teas and various beverages from morning till night. However, as night fell and the promotional fervor gradually subsided, the counters and corners of some stores were piled up with dozens or even nearly a hundred sealed but unclaimed milk teas.
According to on-site staff, these "abandoned" drinks were mostly ordered several hours or even earlier, but the customers ultimately never showed up to claim them. Around closing time—usually around midnight—staff would find multiple prepared milk teas scattered across the floor, shelves, and preparation counters, yet no customers ever came to pick them up.
Multiple industry workers admitted that brand policies explicitly stipulate that all freshly made beverages left overnight must be destroyed and are not allowed to be sold or distributed elsewhere. However, seeing large quantities of drinks about to be thrown away in vain, some staff, unable to bear the waste, would privately give some of the drinks to delivery riders waiting at the store, nearby sanitation workers, or security guards. Some would even tactfully suggest to in-store customers that they take the drinks if permissible, in an attempt to reduce waste. But such actions are generally against regulations and carry certain risks.
As many stores close late at night with few people or vehicles on the streets, even when staff wish to hand over the unclaimed milk teas to others, it is often difficult to find suitable recipients. As a result, the vast majority of unclaimed milk teas ultimately end up being thrown into the trash. Some stores discard nearly a hundred milk teas in a single night, leaving frontline employees feeling helpless and joking self-deprecatingly: "All the hard work shaking those milk teas, and in the end, they all go down the drain."
This phenomenon has sparked heated discussion on social platforms. Many netizens, upon seeing photos and videos of discarded drinks taken by staff, delivery workers, and consumers, have expressed dissatisfaction. They believe that this behavior of "getting something for free but not claiming it" not only leads to food waste but also adds extra work pressure on riders and store employees. They directly criticize: "If you’re not going to drink it, then don’t place the order."
Beyond public criticism, there are also rational voices putting forward specific improvement suggestions for platforms and stores. For example, switching to on-site preparation only after customers arrive with their order numbers, or uniformly adjusting the sweetness and ice ratios of drinks to reduce the chance of some consumers abandoning their orders due to overly picky taste preferences. Such adjustments could not only lessen the burden on staff in preparation and management but might also effectively filter out truly interested customers.
Looking at the entire incident, both observers and industry workers are calling on the public to more rationally assess their own needs and actual circumstances when claiming free or discounted vouchers offered by platforms, avoiding impulsive orders. Ordering only what is needed can not only reduce food waste but also ease the unnecessary consumption of store personnel and delivery resources, together fostering a more consumer-friendly environment.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
