不止于咖啡，揭开上海咖啡馆“万店密码”More than just coffee, uncover the "Ten Thousand Store Code" of Shanghai cafes

Source: Liberation Daily

At the 2026 Shanghai International Coffee Culture Festival, the "2026 China Urban Coffee Development Report" jointly released by the Shanghai Cultural and Creative Industry Promotion Association, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Cultural Innovation and Youth Development Research Institute, and others was impressive: the number of coffee shops in Shanghai exceeded the threshold of 10000 stores, reaching 10336, continuing to be the city with the most coffee shops in the world.

Many people are curious about this number: do so many coffee shops have such a large market demand? Is there a 'roll' between coffee shops? Can independent cafes survive? What is driving the growth of coffee shops in Shanghai?

Walking into different types of cafes in Shanghai, perhaps you can find the answers to these questions.

Emotional necessity

Among various coffee shops in Shanghai, chain brands account for the largest proportion. Data shows that Luckin Coffee has over 1600 stores in Shanghai, Starbucks has over 1100 stores, and MANNER has nearly 900 stores. On a small road or in a shopping mall, it is likely to encounter several stores of the same brand. For example, at Xingye Taikoo Hui, the reporter found four MANNER cafes.

Will such a high density not cause 'involution'?

Upon closer observation of these four MANNERs, it can be observed that their service methods and targets are different: two stores are located in underground passages connected to the subway, one of which serves coffee and freshly made bread from early morning, and the other operates during peak commuting hours. The business hours of the two stores are seamlessly connected with the morning rush hour, and consumers often bring a cup of coffee to work.

The third store is located in the outdoor garden of the shopping mall and is a small coffee cart. The main passenger flow is also office workers, but the surrounding office buildings are mostly white-collar workers who love to use their own cups. This store also has outdoor seating. When the weather is good, some office workers use it as a space for lunch breaks, and nearby residents also bring their pets to sit.

The fourth store is located on the third floor of the mall, with light colored dining tables and chairs that exude a peaceful and leisurely atmosphere. On the control panel, the hand drawn pots arranged in sequence are very conspicuous. The customer orders a cup of hand drawn coffee, and the staff will start by weighing the coffee beans, providing a set of ceremonial services. The consumers of this store are mostly relaxed citizens and tourists. Some sit quietly alone, looking down at their phones; Some sit around in groups of three or two, chatting softly. In the misty aroma of coffee, time seems to have slowed down.

Several coffee industry practitioners told reporters that the number of coffee shops in Shanghai is determined by the market: "If there was no demand and no customer flow, how could there be so many coffee shops?" They all agree with one viewpoint: as far as Shanghai is concerned, the role of coffee shops is no longer limited to "refreshing".

Data analysis also supports this viewpoint. Shanghai's per capita annual coffee consumption is not the highest in the world. Xu Jian, Vice Dean of the School of Media and Communication at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, introduced that the per capita annual coffee consumption in Seoul is about 190 cups, and in Tokyo it exceeds 200 cups, both far exceeding Shanghai. In this context, Shanghai has become the city with the most coffee shops in the world, which is closely related to Shanghai's culture - in Shanghai, coffee shops are not only places to drink coffee, but also spaces for leisure, socializing, and cultural activities.

Next to Xingye Taikoo Hui, Starbucks Shanghai Baking Workshop is a multifunctional caf é that has become an important showcase of Shanghai's coffee culture. Since its opening 8 years ago, this place has attracted over 18 million tourists from around the world.

Choose any workday and step into it, where you can meet local consumers who work and socialize here, as well as tourists from all over the world. Mr. Gao, who works in cultural and creative industries, is facing computer work head-on. He said, "Compared to other coffee shops, this place has a lot of foot traffic and is a bit noisy, but it has become a source of inspiration for me because I can see different people." Korean tourist Kim Soo min has selected several "Shanghai limited edition" cultural and creative products. She said that Seoul does not lack coffee shops, but there are no "so huge" ones. This place is more like a scenic spot. "From coffee to food to" Shanghai limited edition "souvenirs, it's so interesting

On the first floor of the old building "Declaration Hall" adjacent to Nanjing East Road Pedestrian Street, the "THE PRESS" caf é is also a popular check-in spot. On a weekday morning, while drinking coffee here, the reporter counted that foreign tourists accounted for more than half of the 30-40 consumers who came to the store for consumption. The Miller couple from Canada said that they followed the recommendation of local social media and "didn't expect there to be a coffee shop in the old newspaper, the name of the shop matched the building so well. The coffee here is very good, and the building is also very interesting." The store manager told reporters that in addition to coffee, T-shirts with news elements such as "reporter" are also hot selling products.

It can be seen that coffee shops in Shanghai are not as simple as "selling coffee". The stay of different groups of people and the integration of diverse business formats all indicate that the essential needs satisfied by Shanghai cafes are more like emotional needs - acceptance of new things, tolerance of diverse cultures, and longing for a better life. These traits are highly compatible with the urban temperament of Shanghai, and coffee shops attract not only coffee enthusiasts, but also every ordinary person who loves life.

There must be products that are worth selling

Many people believe that opening a coffee shop, especially an independent one, is often related to "emotions". If you listen to the story of an independent caf é, you will find that "emotions" are not everything.

At the gate of Wutong, an independent coffee shop on Tianping Road, the bright sun shines on the green leaves of wutong trees and the flowers of clematis. The reporter followed the "Spring Coffee Map" to come here, which was really like what netizens said: both the style of "very wutong District" and the shopkeeper "very friendly and able to talk".

From the layout, this caf é fits people's impression of a "Shanghai caf é": in a small courtyard under the shade of trees, there are comfortable seats and a strong aroma of coffee.

Shop owners Zhang Liang and Shi Quan are two coffee enthusiasts who have been in business for over 3 years. The coffee shop's repeat customers account for more than 70%, and some have even invited them to open another store. We are still conducting research. Relying solely on stories and emotions is not enough to support a coffee shop, "Zhang Liang believes. Consumers regard coffee shops as" public spaces ", which is an important reason for the sustainable development of Shanghai coffee shops." But having space does not necessarily mean having foot traffic. To survive in so many shops, the first thing is to have products that are worth selling

The signature product of "Wutong" is a vanilla pod latte made with homemade vanilla paste. The market does not lack knowledgeable consumers. Half a year after the opening of Wutong, this carefully crafted coffee has received rave reviews online, attracting more people to come and admire its reputation.

At the same time, the small shop is also carefully managing its' relationships'. Zhang Liang explained that there is a relationship with both consumers and the community. "Almost every seat in our store has a socket, which is convenient for everyone who sits for a long time." There is an AED defibrillator hanging outside the store, which Zhang Liang purchased at his own expense. He also thanked the government departments for their support, "For example, the greening department guided us on how to integrate the greening of our small shop with the urban landscape

Nowadays, many customers have become friends of the small shop. The best-selling cultural and creative product in the store is a set of playing cards, with almost every card featuring a cartoon portrait of a regular customer. "This is a coffee enthusiast in the community who loves to drink coffee and even came to us to learn how to make coffee; This is my neighbor. He has to pair his coffee with a cup of plain water because he needs to take his medicine on time. "In Zhang Liang's opinion, the sales volume of independent coffee shops cannot compare to that of chain brands, but if they have a fixed customer base, they have the opportunity to operate stably.

The operation manager of THE PRESS, Yang Benli, also told reporters that "having a story" and "good environment" are just bonus points for cafes. To survive in the market, the foundation is always the product. A coffee shop located in an old newspaper doesn't lack stories and environment, but when it opened 11 years ago, the first thing I thought about was how to make a good cup of coffee.

At that time, there were also independent coffee shops with good environments in the market, but those that focused on specialty coffee beans were more attractive, "he recalled. At that time, the coffee industry chain in Shanghai was far less mature than it is now. In order to find suitable coffee beans, they tried various ways, even purchasing from overseas markets and manually bringing them back to China. By relying on the product itself, we accumulate word-of-mouth bit by bit.

11 years have passed, and THE PRESS has grown from one store to having 4 brands and 14 stores, as well as its own coffee bean supply chain, which can meet its own business needs and become a supplier for some independent coffee shops.

Although there are more stores, consumers' demands are also higher. "This is the experience of Chen Cong, the store manager of THE PRESS Fudan University Alumni Hall. Many teachers and students use this caf é as a self-study classroom, ordering a cup of coffee and sitting for an afternoon. The usage rate of a row of coffee bean aroma sensors on the control panel is very high. Many people proactively inquire about the origin, roasting method, flavor, and other details of coffee beans when placing an order. At this point, they can directly smell it and choose the one they prefer.

Different types of coffee shops are developing in a staggered manner

Where is the highest density of coffee shops in Shanghai?

Some people say it's Jing'an District, with about 57 coffee shops per square kilometer, and on Nanjing West Road, there's even one coffee shop every 30 meters; Some people say that on Yongkang Road in Xuhui District, just 600 meters away, there are nearly 30 cafes; Some people also speculate that it is a shopping mall, where limited space has gathered more than ten or even dozens of coffee shops

But what many people don't know is that the number of coffee shops in Shanghai has not been soaring all the way: last year's statistics showed that the number of coffee shops decreased in 2024 compared to 2023. Xu Jian interpreted at that time: "This indicates that the Shanghai coffee market has begun to undergo structural optimization and adjustment. The significance of opening a boutique store may be greater than opening 10 ordinary stores casually. The subsequent market will be a competition about 'aesthetic power' and 'operational power'." He also predicted that after survival of the fittest, the number of coffee shops in Shanghai will continue to grow.

indeed. The data released this year shows that the number of coffee shops in Shanghai has increased again, and the magnitude is not small, directly exceeding 10000. Xu Jian's team also found that boutique coffee shops account for 18% of all coffee shops in Shanghai, and the total number is also ahead of other cities in China. Behind the increase in the number of stores is the continuous enrichment of consumer scenarios and the systematic improvement of supply capacity

Many practitioners also believe that coffee shops belong to segmented industries in the entire retail market; However, the development of coffee shops is a direct response to market demand, thus becoming a market indicator. In Shanghai, chain coffee shops have brought standardized production and service processes to the market, while independent coffee shops have played an indispensable role in enriching market supply and meeting personalized needs. They coincidentally recommended the "Caf é del Volcan" caf é on Yongkang Road to reporters, where many founders of popular cafes have worked as baristas or roasters.

In a small shop of less than 25 square meters, with high wooden beams and sunken space paired with pure wooden tables and chairs, consumers can quietly taste coffee. This is the first impression that Caf é del Volc á n gives people.

The small shop was founded in 2012 by a foreigner. When they were living in Shanghai, they found that specialty coffee was booming and there was a group of coffee lovers around them. So they opened this small coffee shop and held regular salons to share tips on screening and roasting coffee beans. Gradually, some Western restaurants and bars have also expressed a demand for specialty coffee beans. So, starting from self roasting coffee beans, the small shop explored the Shanghai boutique coffee market.

After 14 years of operation, Caf é del Volc á n has witnessed the explosive growth of independent and chain coffee shops in Shanghai, and has also found that the integration of the two is becoming increasingly evident: the personalized operation of independent coffee shops has become a standardized process for chain stores, and standardized chain stores have presented a new pattern of "thousands of shops, thousands of faces".

The innovation in the Shanghai coffee market is not entirely based on coffee beans. Some increase the format, some increase the emotional value, and we insist on making flavors, "said the person in charge of the small shop's marketing department." Diversified innovation meets diverse needs and also enables different types of coffee shops to develop in different positions, enriching the Shanghai coffee market together. "She also observed that check-in specialty coffee shops are quite popular nowadays, and some foreign consumers even take a taxi to Yongkang Road for coffee as soon as they get off the plane. (Reporter Ren Chong)