Introduction:HEYTEA’s latest “Buy One Get One Free” promotion for its Golden Phoenix Tea Pastry started with stock selling out almost immediately, leaving many customers reporting that the promotional items were quickly unavailable, while the same product sold at regular price remained in stock—causing confusion. This is not the first time the brand has faced controversy over limited-time offers. Was it due to insufficient supply chain preparation or inconsistencies in store execution strategies? This article takes an in-depth look at the full sequence of events and consumer feedback.
HEYTEA’s recent “Buy One Get One Free” limited-time promotion for the Golden Phoenix Tea Pastry encountered stock issues shortly after going live. This tea pastry, inspired by the brand’s classic Golden Phoenix Tea King, was first launched in loose form in 2024 to widespread acclaim, with its later boxed sharing version becoming a fan-favorite bestseller.
The promotion was available only on the day of the event, and ordering through the official mini program came with the added benefit of waived delivery fees, attracting many customers who waited in advance. However, shortly after the promotion began, many users found that links for the Golden Phoenix Tea Pastry marked “Buy One Get One Free” quickly showed as sold out, even though the regular version of the same product remained available for purchase.
This discrepancy in inventory display caused confusion among many consumers. Some users pointed out that if physical stores were truly out of stock, all links should have shown as sold out simultaneously. Screenshots from the mini program circulating on social platforms showed that many users experienced similar situations, including comments such as, “I went to place an order at ten o’clock, but the Buy One Get One Free link showed as sold out at the store, while the single purchase link still had stock.”
This incident is not the first time HEYTEA has faced scrutiny over its buy-one-get-one promotions. Just the previous week, the brand’s matcha “Buy One Get One Free” promotion also saw some customers unable to participate smoothly due to material shortages at multiple locations. Now, with a similar situation recurring, consumers are questioning the brand’s inventory management capabilities.
Some consumers have observed that franchise stores generally sell out immediately upon opening, while directly operated stores tend to have more stable supply. One fan speculated that this difference might be related to the stores’ business models and inventory allocation strategies.
Staff explained that although the Golden Phoenix Tea Pastry has a relatively long shelf life, each store usually only receives an initial inventory of just a few dozen boxes. “Once the goods arrive at the store, they sell out right away—we can’t even keep enough in stock for the Buy One Get One Free offer,” which is why promotional items are often in short supply.
This explanation partly clarifies why promotional products are prone to quick sell-outs, but it also highlights potential issues in the brand’s promotional planning and inventory allocation.
For consumers, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the store’s operating model in advance when participating in such limited-time promotions, and consider refreshing the page just before the event starts to increase the chances of a successful purchase. At the same time, pay attention to the differences in inventory display between promotional and regular products to avoid misjudging availability.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
