The fervor for bubble tea has swept across the United States, but a popular chain faced a setback as its initial public offering (IPO) stumbled on the Asian market.
Sichuan Baicha Baidao, operating under the names ChaPanda and Chabaidao, entered the market with high hopes, but its IPO on Tuesday, April 23, started at $17.50 Hong Kong dollars ($2.23) per share, only to plummet to $10.80 Hong Kong dollars ($1.38) per share within the first two hours of trading. By day’s end, the company’s shares closed at $12.80 Hong Kong dollars ($1.63) per share, marking a 27% decline from its listing price.
The disappointing performance casts a shadow over ChaPanda, the third-largest bubble tea retailer in China, boasting over 8,000 locations since its establishment in 2008.
Bubble Tea’s Rise in the United States
Bubble tea, a concoction of tea, milk, and boba pearls made from tapioca or fruit jelly, originated in Taiwan in the 1980s and gained global popularity. In the U.S., the song “Bobalife (Make it Tasty)” by the Fung Brothers in 2013 propelled bubble tea into the mainstream.
Despite its growing popularity, bubble tea has faced challenges in penetrating the American market. Dunkin’ tested the waters with bubble tea and bubble iced coffee in Massachusetts in 2020 but ultimately phased out the drinks due to their limited appeal. Similarly, Domino’s in Taiwan experimented with a pizza featuring tapioca pearls, but the offering remained confined to the Asian market.
However, with ChaPanda’s recent setback, industry experts speculate about the future of the bubble tea trend.
Implications of the IPO Slump
ChaPanda’s IPO stumble sends ripples through its competitors, particularly as it marked Hong Kong’s largest market debut of 2024, raising an impressive $330 million from investors.
Other major players in the bubble tea market, such as Mixue Group and Guming Holdings, have also pursued IPOs, but have yet to follow through. Nayuki, another Chinese bubble tea maker, has seen an 88% decline in stock value since its public offering in 2021.
The decline prompts questions about whether the trend reflects waning interest in bubble tea or broader challenges within the Chinese stock market. While a CLSA survey revealed robust bubble tea purchases by Americans aged 20-29, recent investments in the Chinese market have been fraught with uncertainty, exemplified by the struggles of China Evergrande.
As Robert Lui, a capital markets analyst at Deloitte, noted, market liquidity remains a concern, with low turnover and valuation impacting the Hong Kong stock market.
The future of the bubble tea market in the United States hangs in the balance as industry observers monitor the fallout from ChaPanda’s IPO disappointment.
