On 17 January, leading Chinese-style tea brand HeyTea opened the doors to its latest concept store in Chengdu. The new opening means that HeyTea has restarted its Daydreamer Project, or “DP” for short, a series of concept stores that focus on the space itself that began in 2017. The new Chunxi Road HeyTea location is the first DP concept location in the Southwest city since HeyTea entered Chengdu in 2018.
The new store is inspired by the local tea culture in Chengdu with the two-storey tea shop taking influence from traditional Sichuan courtyards. Combining tea and zen, the HeyTea DP store tries to recreate the leisurely lifestyle of Chengdu with its special design. Plants and fragrances are used to create an immersive experience. Currently, the space is also hosting a pottery exhibition of handmade earthenware for a total zen experience. HeyTea also launched its first handcrafted shaved ice product out of Guangdong, with the matcha green tea shaved ice being exclusive to the DP store in Chengdu.
The first 3 HeyTea Daydreamer Project stores are in 1 Guangzhou and 2 Shenzhen locations, all in the province of Guangdong, opened between 2017 and 2018. It then expanded into cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Xi’an and Singapore. These spaces are usually contemporary and minimalistic, with themed art installations to tie the concept together. They are centred around traditional and modern Chinese culture, art and literature. The latest Chengdu store stands out for its hyper-localisation and tribute to local culture and lifestyle.
Art and design have been a big part of brands in bringing added value to offline experiences. With the tea and coffee market saturating and competition intensifying, HeyTea has moved away from price wars. Providing exclusive experiences that fulfil emotional value for visitors by paying tribute to local lifestyle and artistic spaces might be a great way for HeyTea to stand out.
