Luckin Coffee makes Malaysia debut with two Kuala Lumpur outlets

Luckin Coffee currently operates over 20,000 stores in China alongside more than 50 in Singapore | Photo credit: Swapnil Bapat

Chinese coffee giant Luckin Coffee has opened its first two stores in Malaysia as part of a ‘soft opening’ and testing phase with franchise partner Hextar Industries Berhad. 
 

The outlets at Sunway Pyramid and Menara EcoWorld in Kuala Lumpur are the first of five to be opened by the end of January 2025 and will serve as a testing ground for the franchise partners to engage with customers and refine its operations ahead of significant expansion – with 200 stores mooted over the next three years. 

“We are thrilled to begin our journey in Malaysia with this soft opening, offering customers a first look at Luckin Coffee’s unique coffee culture. This is an opportunity to engage with our customers and perfect our operations to meet local tastes and preferences,” said Jeff Lim Chee Lip, CEO of Hextar Industries subsidiary Global Aroma Sdn Bhd. 

Luckin Coffee is China’s largest coffee chain with over 20,000 stores. Malaysia is the small-format operator’s second international market after Singapore, where it has opened 51 stores since debuting in March 2023. 

Mirroring its strategy in China and Singapore, Luckin Coffee will seek to build a customer base in Malaysia with regular promotions and discounts. To mark its launch, beverages will be priced as low as RM2.99 ($0.67) when ordered via its app. 

Luckin Coffee will face competition in Malaysia by several fast-growing domestic small-format chains, led by ZUS Coffee, Gigi Coffee and Bask Bear. The value-focused brand will also challenge for market share with Indonesia’s Kopi Kenangan, which has opened 89 stores since debuting in October 2022, fellow Chinese coffee chain Cotti Coffee, which currently operates 10 sites in Malaysia, and South Korea’s Ediya Coffee, which is seeking to open 200 stores in Malaysia by 2029 after launching in Kuala Lumpur in December 2024.