KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 — Loob Holding Sdn Bhd, the creator of Malaysia’s Tealive bubble tea brand, today kicked off the first of its 500 stores in China with long queues of tea drinkers eager to try out the uniquely Malaysian tropical flavours.
Chinese consumers thronged the Tealive store at SML Centre in Huangpu District to try the unique durian-themed drinks as well as options from its warm pearls, fruit tea, craft tea and milk tea categories.
With China being the world’s largest tea market and the fourth overseas market, Tealive CEO Bryan Loo revealed that the company decided to create a specific menu to showcase South-East Asian ingredients such as durian, cempedak (jackfruit), gula melaka, Bentong ginger and Sabah origin tea.
Among the crowd favourites were Durian Milkshake, Green Tea and Oolong Tea with Durian Mousse, as well as hot drinks such as Ginger Sabah Milk Tea, Superior Coco and Collagen Milk Tea.
“Tealive is a home-grown brand that we have always proudly described as ‘Born in Malaysia, Raised for the World’, and, indeed we have. Barely six months after the birth of Tealive, we took the brand to Vietnam and are on target to opening eight outlets by year-end. We have penetrated the Australian market with the opening of our first store there.
“Now, with our first step into China and the upcoming plans for India, we are en-route to growing Tealive as a truly authentic Malaysian lifestyle tea brand in the eyes of the world. We are passionate about applying a local touch to every market that we enter, and are excited to share our South East Asian origins with every tea lover,” Loo added.
Early this year, Loob Holding entered into a joint venture with two Chinese companies, Zhejiang Boduo International Trade Co Ltd and Shanghai Panfei International Trade Co Ltd to open 500 stores in China within the next three years.
Tealive has close to 200 outlets in Malaysia with 2.5 million consumers each month. The company has also established six Tealive stores in Vietnam and recently appointed a master franchisee in India with the target of opening 200 outlets within five years.
Also present at the launch were representatives from the Malaysian Trade Commissioner’s office in Shanghai.
