Chinese tea brand Chagee launched its first North American store on April 26 at Westfield Century City Mall in Los Angeles, drawing strong local interest on its soft opening day. The move comes amid Chagee’s rapid global expansion, with over 6,400 stores worldwide and a 173% surge in GMVto $4 billion in 2024. The brand went public on https://.com/2025/04/18/chinese-milk-tea-chain-chagee-hits-6-2-billion-valuation-on-nasdaq-debut/Nasdaq> earlier this month, closing its first trading day up 16% at a $5.95 billion valuation. As part of its international push, Chagee recently appointed Eugene Lee, former International CMO at McDonald’s, as its new VP and Chief Marketing Officer for APAC. Lee, who spent 15 years at McDonald’s leading marketing across 80 global markets, cited founder Zhang Junjie’s vision to modernize and globalize tea culture as a key reason for joining. Founded in 2019, Chagee has rapidly scaled to over 6,440 stores globally and posted a 173% year-on-year GMV growth in 2024, reaching RMB 29.5 billion (US$4 billion). Its success lies in a focus on operational efficiency and a streamlined menu centered around milk tea and original Chinese tea, differentiating it from competitors in the crowded beverage sector. [36Kr, in Chinese, Campaign Asia-Pacific]
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