Sportswear retailer Li Ning eyes in-store coffee brand

As coffee gradually penetrates Chinese people’s daily life in recent years, some none-catering companies are starting to utilize the potential of this newly booming industry.

Sportswear brand Li-Ning bursts into the coffee industry this year with Ning Coffee landing in its several offline stores in Beijing, Xiamen and some areas in Guangdong province.

Li-Ning said it hopes to improve customers’ comfort level when shopping by optimizing its in-store services.

In early February, China Post opened its first cafe in Xiamen, Fujian province, and will continue to open more stores in Beijing and Shanghai.

Tongrentang, a traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy with a history dating back over 350 years, opened a shop featuring herbal coffee in 2020.

According to market consultancy iMedia Research, China’s coffee market totaled 381.7 billion yuan in 2021, and is expected to maintain a high-speed development with a growth rate at about 27.2 percent.