Chatime

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Chatime
Industry Beverages
Genre Bubble tea
Founded Zhubei in Hsinchu County, Taiwan (2003)[2]
Headquarters Zhubei, Taiwan
Number of locations 1,000 in 25 countries (July 13, 2013)[3]
Area served Australia, Cambodia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Macao, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, UAE, United Kingdom, USA, Vietnam
Key people Henry Wang Yao-Hui
(Chairperson, Founder)[4]
Products
Bubble tea  • Tea  • Flavored tea
Services Tea
Revenue US$20 million (2011)[2][5]
Website ichatime.com.tw

Chatime (日出茶太) is a Taiwanese global franchise teahouse chain. It operates 1,000 outlets in 25 countries.[3] In 2006, it opened its first store outside of Taiwan in California, and it has since expanded to Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Australia, India, Dubai, China, Japan and Korea.[6][7] Its expansion and growth model is through franchising.[6]

Its parent company, La Kaffa International Co Ltd (六角國際事業), debuted on the Emerging Stock Market (興櫃市場) in December 2012 at NT$168 per share. It is expected to list on Taiwan’s Gre Tai Securities Market in the second half of 2013.[6] It is the only public-listed bubble tea company in Taiwan.[8]

History

There are over 80 Chatime flavours.

Henry Wang Yao-Hui founded Chatime in 2005 in Hsinchu, Taiwan, under the parent company, La Kaffa Coffee.[5] He modernised traditional tea making culture by producing tea machines that could make quality fresh teas that were consistent, using a variety of flavors, fruits and toppings, in order to stand out from the many competitors in the market.[5] The company has its own tea plantation in Nantou, Taiwan.[2]

Expansion

The company opened its first outlet outside of Taiwan in California in 2006,[7] followed by Australia in 2009,[9] where it currently has over 40 stores.[10] This was followed by Malaysia[11] in 2010.[12] Its Malaysian operations currently account for just under 50% of its global revenue.[11]

In 2012, the brand opened its first store in India, a traditional tea drinking country, in New Delhi.[13]

After its two stores in New York, its third store in the United States opened at Mall of America in March 2012.[14] The Chatime store in London is located on Old Compton Street.[15]

In the Philippines, it plans to open 50 stores by 2014,[2] while in Malaysia, it opened its 100th store in 2013, with plans to open up to 250 stores within a three to five year period.[16]

Listing

Chatime outlet in Æon, Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Klang, Malaysia

Chatime's parent company, La Kaffa International Co. Ltd., debuted on Taiwan's Emerging Stock Market (興櫃市場) in December 2012 at NT$168 per share[17] under the stock code 2732.[6] It is the only public-listed bubble tea company in Taiwan.[8]

Products

The brand's best-selling drink is its signature Chatime "pearl" milk tea.[5] The brand has a variety of drinks under categories such as milk tea, fresh tea, fruit tea, "oriental pop tea", "QQ" jelly, "mousse", juices, smoothies and coffee, with stores carrying anywhere between 30 to over 90 flavours.[18][19] Its products are available with less sugar.[2]

Typically, Chatime products come with a variety of toppings such as "pearls", while "QQ" jelly is a mixture of "pearls" and nata de coco.[2]

Some products are only available in certain countries. For example, in Malaysia, Chatime introduced three flavours in collaboration with Horlicks from GlaxoSmithKline.[20]

Locations

As of December 10, 2013, Chatime is present in 21 countries and territories.[21]

North America Europe Middle East Asia Oceania
  • Canada
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Cambodia
  • China
  • Hong Kong
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Japan
  • Macau
  • Malaysia
  • Myanmar
  • Pakistan[22]
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • South Korea
  • Taiwan
  • Thailand
  • Vietnam
  • Australia

Collaborations

Chatime was the first bubble tea brand to be made available in-flight in a collaboration with AirAsia
Chatime became the first beverage company in Malaysia to host an official account on WeChat. On the far left and right are WeChat ambassadors Lisa Surihani and Shaheizy Sam.[1]

In 2012, AirAsia announced that it would offer Chatime on its flights and claimed that is would be the "world's first and only in-flight bubble tea". The airline said that two speciality bubble tea drinks, Roasted Milk Tea with Red Bean and Mango Green Tea with Rainbow Jelly, were available on flights operated by Malaysian AirAsia with the airline code AK to 48 destinations, which include India, Hong Kong, Thailand and the Philippines.[23] The collaboration was organised by Chatime Malaysia's CEO, Bryan Loo.[23]

Chatime became the first beverage company in Malaysia to host an official account on WeChat. To mark the collaboration, Chartime gave away 1 million cups of drinks worth over RM6 million/US$2 million through digital coupons made available via the WeChat platform.[24]

Other collaborations include partnerships with McDonald's, Horlicks from GlaxoSmithKline,[25] and biscuit brand Julie's.[26]

Brand ambassadors

A Chatime outlet in a shopping mall

Chatime announced in 2012 that award-winning Taiwan actress Ariel Lin would serve as its brand ambassador.[27]

The following year, the brand announced that Crystal Lee had become the lifestyle tea provider's first “Chatime Friend”. The announcement was made soon after Lee became the youngest actress ever to have won the award for Best Actress at the 16th Shanghai International Film Festival.[28]

Counterfeit

In South Korea, Chatime said it would take legal action against a store which sold similar products and was recruiting potential franchises.[29]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Yu, Steve. "WeChat celebrates partnership with Chatime with 1 Million Cups of Chatime for Redemption". My Techj Quest. Retrieved 31 December 2013. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Jamora-Garceau, Therese (12 April 2012). "Lifestyle report from Taiwan: What time is it? It's Chatime". Phil Star. Retrieved 10 December 2013. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "La Kaffa International to Partner with Ryuji Group Brings Chatime to Myanmar Region". Chatime. Retrieved 26 July 2013. 
  4. ↑ "La Kaffa International Co Ltd". Bloomberg. Retrieved 9 December 2013. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Baga-Reyes, Reyes (26 April 2012). "How Taipei’s Chatime came to Manila". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 9 December 2013. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Su, Amy (8 April 2013). "Food, beverage firms plan expansion". Taipei Times. Retrieved 26 July 2013. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Chatime enters Korea". Inside Retail Asia. 18 October 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2013. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "mad about tea - How to sell bubble tea profitably". The Edge. 15 November 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2013. 
  9. ↑ "Bubble tea". Neat Eats Food news. Retrieved 9 December 2013. 
  10. ↑ Hammond, Michelle. "Chatime’s Australian expansion highlights growth of Asian franchises". Startup Smart. Retrieved 10 December 2013. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Chatime boss finds his cup of tea". The Star. 11 november 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013. 
  12. ↑ "Chatime Malaysia Celebrates 100 Outlets". La Kaffa. Retrieved 9 December 2013. 
  13. ↑ "Chatime opens Taiwanese bubble tea store in New Delhi". Want China Times. 3 August 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2013. 
  14. ↑ "Chatime to open at Mall of America". Minneapolis.org. Retrieved 10 December 2013. 
  15. ↑ "Chatime’ makes its European début in London". Ad-lib Traveller. Retrieved 10 December 2013. 
  16. ↑ Chan, Jade (26 July 2013). "Chatime unveils expansion plan at opening of its 100th store". The Star. Retrieved 10 December 2013. 
  17. ↑ "Announcement - La Kaffa". GreTai Securities Market. Retrieved 9 December 2013. 
  18. ↑ "Products". Chatime. Retrieved 9 December 2013. 
  19. ↑ "Drinks". Chatime. Retrieved 9 December 2013. 
  20. ↑ Sri Priya, Sheila (25 January 2013). "Tea with Horlicks for Chatime". New Straits Times. Retrieved 9 December 2013. 
  21. ↑ "Locations". Chatime. Retrieved 10 December 2013. 
  22. ↑ "Chatime Pakistan: Unveiled in Lahore". ebuzztoday.com. Retrieved 10 December 2013. 
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 "AirAsia upbeat on its F&B growth". Daily Express. 6 July 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2013. 
  24. ↑ "WeChat and Chatime offer 1 million cups of Chatime". Borneo Post. 21 October 2013. Retrieved 30 December 2013. 
  25. ↑ "The "Why" Behind the Chatime-Horlicks Alliance". Marketing Magazine. 16 January 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2013. 
  26. ↑ "Julie’s teams up with Chatime". Business Times. 22 Nov 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2013. 
  27. ↑ "Ariel Lin as the Official Brand Ambassador for Chatime". Chatime Press Release. Retrieved 10 December 2013. 
  28. ↑ "Award-winning child actress debuts in brand's programme". The Star. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2013. 
  29. ↑ "Taiwanese bubble tea chain opens first outlet in South Korea". Want China Times. 18 October 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2013. 

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