SWOT Analysis of Competition in the Coffee Industry -- Based on an Empirical Perspective of Luckin Coffee

Abstract

At present, the coffee market in China is expanding at an extremely rapid pace. Various forms of coffee have also integrated into the daily lives of Chinese people and have become an indispensable beverage in their daily routines. As a leading brand in China, LUCKIN Coffee rapidly expanded by adopting a low-price strategy and highly digitalized services. Still, it also faced fierce competition from both domestic and foreign brands. Most existing studies focused on analyzing Luckin's short-term strategies, such as pricing and digital marketing models, lacking a systematic analysis of Luckin's internal capabilities and external environment, especially empirical studies based on the SWOT framework were still rare. This study is based on the literature search conducted from 2020 to 2025 in Google Scholar, Scopus, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. Twelve high-quality papers and cases were selected, and the SWOT analysis was used to evaluate Luckin's strengths, weaknesses, and its strategic positioning in terms of market opportunities and threats. This study aims to provide domestic coffee retailers with references for achieving rapid expansion and sustainable development in the fierce competition, and to offer strategic guidance for LUCKIN to occupy a leading position in the competitive market.