The Chinese ice cream and tea brand, Mixueopens its first two stores in Brazil this Saturday (11). The opening of operations takes place just over a year after .
Founded in 1997, Mixue has and is larger than McDonald’s and Starbucks.
Brazil was chosen for the company’s debut in South America due to its cultural and economic diversity, said Tian Zezhong, CEO of Mixue in the country, to CNN Money.
The company’s entry into the Brazilian market is part of the company’s global expansion strategy, which has a strong presence in Asia and is already expanding in other markets.
ApexBrasil (Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency) expects Mixe’s presence in the country to generate 25 thousand jobs by 2030.
According to the franchise, its proposal is to bring “quality products at an affordable price where everyone can have access.”
And in the search for adaptation to the local market and the right audience for the business, the company invests first in the capital of São Paulo, with a unit in Shopping City São Paulo and another in 25th of March Street.
“When we entered Brazil, we didn’t know who the public was and which area would be better concentrated, which would have better adherence to these products. So, the [Avenida] Paulista was the main place [por estar] in São Paulo, in the center. Here was the first shot. And on March 25th, because there is a different audience than here, it is a test, precisely to see how the public responds”, comments Tian.
Even so, the expansion plans already include two other stores: one at Shopping Campo Limpo and another at Shopping Tatuapé. Mixue expects to open 60 to 100 stores this year in the country, with at least 10 stores starting to operate in Rio de Janeiro in the second half of the year.
Tian mentions that the lemon, orange, milk and açaí (which will be launched soon) are purchased from national producers. However, today, the vast majority of inputs and equipment are imported from China.
If the expectation is that production will become entirely national due to logistics, according to the CEO.
