The Impulso Podcast E131: Inside Luckin Coffee: How they launch 119 drinks a year
Luckin Coffee is rewriting the playbook for how coffee chains innovate. From minty coconut lattes to a Moutai latte that sold 5.4 million cups in a day, the brand keeps churning out new - and sometimes funky - flavours.
In 2024 alone, Luckin launched 119 new SKUs. But how
Tune in as Weihan and Sabrina explore:
Luckin’s data-driven R&D and “horse racing” approach to product development;
Why odd-sounding creations (grape fizz Americano, anyone?) actually sell?;
- How Luckin is rolling out country-exclusive flavours as it expands globally.
And of course, we had to do a live taste test, because talking about funky flavors is one thing, but trying them is another.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 – Luckin launches way more drinks a year than Starbucks
03:10:00 – Data over creativity: Luckin’s product development
06:20:00 – How Luckin launches a new drink every 3 days
08:30:00 – What Luckin might brew just for the U.S.
12:40:00 – MW taste test: Grape fizzy americano?
Featured materials:
Inside Luckin Coffee: Strategy, model, and international playbook, Momentum Works
How can Luckin Coffee launch 119 new drinks in a year, TheLowDown
E123: Luckin Coffee brings manufacturing back to the USA?, Impulso Podcast
Luckin Coffee copies Chagee’s best selling drink, TheLowDown