Every start of autumn, “the first cup of Tea in autumn” (referred to as “the first autumn cup” hereafter) frequently appears on social media, and this year is no exception.

Staff are busy making drinks. Photo by Cui Ning

At noon on August 7th, white-collar worker Peipei wanted to order a cup of tea but was shocked when she saw the order page read, “193 cups currently being prepared, estimated waiting time of 49 minutes.”

After drinking her tea at around three in the afternoon, she scrolled through her social media feed and found it flooded with posts about “the first cup of tea in autumn”: “Enjoying the first cup of tea in autumn,” “Has your first cup of tea in autumn been arranged?” “Had the tea bought by my boss,” “Both the first and second cups of tea in autumn have been arranged”…

Screenshot from social media.

Also shocked was Hahan, a Gen-Zer, who at two in the afternoon wanted to order a cup of tea but saw the order volume for popular tea brands rapidly increasing, nearly reaching “order overload”: “I didn't expect there to be 171 cups still being prepared, and most nearby stores had long queues.”

“Ningbo people can add another item to their start-of-autumn rituals – ‘the first autumn cup'!” Peipei said in amazement.

Under the dual effects of demand and traffic, from well-known drink brands to street-side Coffee and tea shops, most experienced a sales peak. According to data from the Ele.me platform, on the first day of autumn, some tea brands saw their tea orders increase nearly tenfold compared to the previous day. Industry insiders joked, “The start of autumn has become the ‘Singles' Day' of the tea industry.”

In the Heytea store at the 1844 Art and Life Center, staff members Chunlian and others were swamped with a steady stream of orders. The sounds of water flowing, machines whirring, packaging, and greetings filled the air, occasionally interrupted by delivery personnel coming to pick up orders.

“Just a few hours after opening, the store has already received over 500 orders, and we probably won't slow down until after four in the afternoon,” Chunlian said while checking receipts.

Many tea stores experienced “order overload.” Image provided by interviewee

Zhu Bin, chairman of Zhejiang Hetang Catering Management Co., Ltd., frankly stated that since the popularity of the “first cup of tea in autumn” topic in 2025, the start of autumn has brought new highlights to tea brands, especially in recent years, where the number of tea orders on the first day of autumn has often set a record for the entire year.

“Currently, the order volume for our twenty or so Hetang stores in Ningbo is expected to be triple the usual amount, with each store averaging around 1,500 cups,” Zhu Bin said.

Nearly twenty stores of the “Coconut No. 2” brand in Ningbo also saw “order overload.”

Chen Jinghui, general manager of Ningbo Coconut No. 2 Brand Management Co., Ltd., told reporters that because they are located in malls with high foot traffic, today's sales for each store are expected to be three to four times higher than usual, with over 500 cups per store. The main increase is in takeout orders, particularly from office buildings, with many orders starting at ten cups.

Takeout became the primary source of growth for tea stores. Photo by Cui Ning

What new trends did the tea category see this year at the start of autumn? Data from Meituan Takeout shows that market penetration, consumer pursuit of health, and cost-effectiveness have become new trends in beverage consumption this year.

A relevant person in charge of Meituan Takeout introduced that the beverage category has become one of the fastest-growing categories in takeout, with a clear trend toward healthier consumption, evident in the significant increase in the sales ratio of products with less Sugar or no additional sugar. In terms of price, the sales ratio of products priced between 5 to 10 yuan and over 20 yuan has increased significantly.

“Consumers are not just chasing low prices, but rather are more concerned about the cost-effectiveness of beverages. At the same time, more and more consumers use ‘treating someone to tea' as a daily social activity, meaning tea is no longer just a beverage but has become a common social tool,” said the person in charge.

The popularity of “the first autumn cup” has led many new tea brands to view the start of autumn as a critical point for switching product lines.

Days before, Heytea launched an online topic, “Who is your first cup of tea in autumn,” introducing a competition between new products and other major products, offering a series of promotional activities like “buy one get one free,” which built up anticipation among consumers for “the first autumn cup.”

Some brands took the opportunity to launch “autumn-limited edition” Osmanthus-flavored tea-coffee beverages. For example, Starbucks combined tea leaves and osmanthus, two Chinese elements, with coffee, launching two coffee beverages, “Osmanthus-flavored Tieguanyin Latte” and “Osmanthus-flavored Latte,” as a “duo.”

Mao Junyuan, a young entrepreneur who runs a café, also incorporated osmanthus into coffee, using “the first autumn cup” to bring in traffic for her café, and indeed, she experienced a period of “order overload”: “Many companies and organizations choose the osmanthus series coffee when ordering afternoon tea takeout, starting with ten cups per order.”

However, many brand managers reported that in 2024, competition in the tea market has intensified, with major brands vying for consumers by focusing on health and lower prices. The average order value has generally decreased by 20% to 30% compared to last year.

There are many “first autumn cup” options priced between 6.8 and 8.8 yuan.

“Unlike last year's focus on collaborations, this year's competition for ‘the first autumn cup' is more about price, health, and creativity. It can be foreseen that as consumer demands change, the ‘internal competition' in the tea market may continue to escalate, and to stand out, accurately defining their position and improving quality service will be key,” said a relevant person in charge of the Consumption Promotion Department of the Municipal Bureau of Commerce.

The person in charge suggested that brands need to find a balance, being attractive in terms of price, creative in form, and innovative in the health attributes, emotional attributes, and other additional attributes of their products.