Chinese tea brand ChaPanda has just launched 20 pet-friendly stores across China, bringing together two loves of many Gen Z consumers.
Besides the major hubs of Shanghai and Shenzhen, the 20 pet-friendly stores are located mainly in New Tier-1 cities, including Changsha, Hangzhou, Zhengzhou, Xi’an, Wuhan, Chongqing and Chengdu. Two Tier-3 cities, Xinyang and Zhumadian in Henan, will also be graced with pet-friendly outlets.
Since the news was announced on June 3, pet lovers in those cities have already flocked to the outlets, which can be identified by the cute “pet-friendly” label now pasted on their glass shopfronts. ChaPanda made sure to offer refreshments for pets and owners alike, with bowls of water provided for thirsty pets upon arrival. From June 3-5, the brand also ran a promotion in which customers who spent over 20 RMB at pet-friendly locations received goodies, like a miniature backpack suitable to be worn by a dog or cat.
To sweeten the deal for ChaPanda fans and pet lovers living outside of the 20 selected cities, customers in stores nationwide received a free cup holder with their order during the special offer period, and those who spent more than 20 RMB also got a ChaPanda-branded pet collar tag. Users of lifestyle-sharing platform Xiaohongshu “punched in”, sharing snaps of their dogs sporting the special offer backpack or posing in the dedicated photoshoot zone.
Incorporating pets is a sure-fire way for businesses to win over the latest generation of Chinese consumers as it appeals to their desire to draw emotional value from purchases. ChaPanda has been further tapping into younger consumers’ love of animals with a raft of panda-related branding. After officially adopting a panda from the Chengdu Giant Panda Research Base in May and naming him Chacha, ChaPanda shared photos on Weibo of Chacha eating “cake” on his 1st birthday.
