Malaysia is the latest stop in the premium operator’s Southeast Asia expansion drive which focuses on high footfall shopping centres and travel hubs
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Naixue at the Exchange TRX shopping centre, Kuala Lumpur | Photo credit: Naixue
Chinese premium tea chain Naixue has opened its first store in Malaysia at the Exchange TRX shopping centre in Kuala Lumpur.
In a press release, Naixue said opening day sales reached RM 40,000 ($9,000), which it attributed to its combined tea and pastries menu. Bakery items comprise more than 40% of Naixue’s Malaysian menu, including products launched specifically for the local market, such as Cheese Cream Horns and Coconut Swiss Roll.
Founded in 2015, Naixue traded as Nayuki until 2022 and now operates 1,900 stores globally. The tea chain is seeking to scale its presence across Southeast Asia by targeting high footfall shopping centres and travel hubs, with its Exchange TRX debut following recent openings at the Emsphere, Central World and One Bangkok malls in Thailand, as well as a site at Singapore’s Jewel Changi Airport which opened in July 2024.
Naixue, which listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in June 2021, is also planning European and US launches ‘in the near future’. The tea chain achieved 20% year-on-year sales growth in 2023 to reach RMB 51.6bn ($7bn), with net profit reaching RMB 20.9m ($2.8m).
The Exchange TRX, which opened in November 2023, has become an attractive location for international tea chains, with China’s Heytea and Shuyi, Thailand’s Cha Tra Mue and Taiwanese chains Gong cha and Koi Thé all operating at the shopping centre.