Luckin Coffee(US:LKNCY) Hua Er Jie Jian Wen·2025-05-15 07:50Core Viewpoint - Luckin Coffee appears to be restarting its expansion efforts amid a slowdown in the coffee market share battle, with a new franchise recruitment plan targeting over 800 locations across 186 cities in China [1][2]. Group 1: Expansion Strategy - The new franchise model, set to launch in early 2024, allows local franchisees to propose site selections within designated areas released by Luckin [2]. - The primary goal is to leverage local franchisees' resources to secure key locations in underserved markets such as schools, tourist attractions, and hospitals [3]. - This marks the first significant expansion signal from Luckin since the arrival of Lei Hui, chairman of Dazhong Capital, who has been a key figure in Luckin's capital operations and development [4][5]. Group 2: Store Opening Trends - In 2024, Luckin opened 2,342, 1,371, 1,382, and 997 new stores in the first to fourth quarters, indicating a decreasing trend in new store openings [6]. - The year-on-year growth rate of new stores in the fourth quarter was only 13.5%, approaching pre-price war levels [7]. - However, in Q1 2025, Luckin accelerated its store opening pace, adding 1,757 new stores, surpassing the previous three quarters' average [9]. Group 3: Financial Performance - In Q1, Luckin's revenue grew by 41.2% year-on-year to 8.865 billion yuan, with a net profit of 525 million yuan, marking a return to profitability [25]. - Same-store sales growth turned positive at 8.1%, benefiting from increased cup volume and the introduction of new product categories [22][21]. - The gross profit margin for self-operated stores rose to 17.1%, an increase of over 10 percentage points year-on-year, alleviating concerns about store operating quality [23][24]. Group 4: Competitive Landscape - Luckin faces competition not only from Starbucks and Kudi but also from emerging tea brands like Mixue Ice City and Bawang Tea Princess, which have recently completed financing rounds [29]. - The trend of cross-industry competition is evident, with Luckin venturing into the tea market to capture additional sales [31]. - The introduction of new tea products, such as the "Freshly Brewed Light Milk Tea," has seen significant sales, with a single-day record of 1.67 million cups sold [32]. Group 5: Market Dynamics - The coffee market is experiencing a resurgence of low-price competition, with Kudi offering prices as low as 3.9 yuan, which has delayed the industry's consolidation process [27]. - Luckin has adjusted its pricing strategy, reducing the scope of its 9.9 yuan offers while maintaining competitive pricing to focus on market share growth [20][26]. - The company is also exploring new product categories to enhance profitability amid rising coffee bean prices, which are expected to pressure margins in the second half of the year [26][37].