欠薪近2亿、创始人成老赖，茶里陷入经营危机

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the rapid decline of the well-known bagged tea brand CHALI, which was once considered a rising star in the industry but is now facing bankruptcy and numerous lawsuits due to financial mismanagement and strategic failures [3][30]. Group 1: Debt and Legal Issues - CHALI has been embroiled in debt disputes, with employees seeking unpaid wages for over a year, leading to widespread attention and legal actions [5][6]. - As of January 2026, CHALI is involved in over 120 lawsuits, with its executives facing restrictions on consumption and the company owing nearly 200 million yuan [8][9]. - Despite its legal troubles, CHALI continues to operate its flagship stores on e-commerce platforms, with some products still achieving high sales volumes [10][11]. Group 2: Previous Success and Investment - Before its crisis, CHALI was seen as a capital darling, achieving significant sales milestones and raising substantial funding through multiple financing rounds, including a billion yuan in B-round financing in 2021 [12][15]. - The company had backing from notable investors, including Country Garden and JD Technology, and was viewed as a potential competitor to established brands like Lipton [17][18]. Group 3: Strategic Failures - CHALI's ambitious foray into the bottled tea market, seen as a critical growth area, ultimately led to its downfall due to underestimating market competition and overextending its resources [19][20]. - The company invested heavily in building a bottled tea factory and marketing campaigns, but faced high costs and poor product reception, leading to significant financial losses [22][24]. - Sales in the bottled tea segment resulted in losses of several million yuan in the first half of 2023, while its core bagged tea sales plummeted by 69.7% year-on-year, with online sales dropping to around 30 million yuan [25][28]. Group 4: Conclusion - The story of CHALI illustrates the risks of rapid expansion fueled by capital without adequate attention to cash flow and market realities, highlighting the challenges faced by companies in the competitive beverage industry [30][31].