As summer temperatures rise across China, one of the country’s main tea brands, Goodme (古茗茶饮), has created a buzz on social media with its latest offering.
Its new product is surprisingly simple: a cup of iced water for just one yuan, aptly named the "One Yuan Ice Cup" (一元冰杯).
Founded in 2010 as a milk tea shop in a small town in Zhejiang Province by Wang Yun’an (王云安), Goodme is now China's largest mass-market fresh tea brand in the 10–20 yuan price range, and the second-largest across all price tiers.
It’s second only in size to Mixue Bingcheng (蜜雪冰城), and by the end of 2024, Goodme had nearly 10,000 stores nationwide—similar in size to China’s biggest coffee chain, Luckin Coffee.
Initially focusing on lower-tier cities, Goodme has successfully penetrated higher-tier markets, including Shanghai and Hangzhou, while maintaining a strong presence in second- and third-tier markets.
It's latest product, the One Yuan Ice Cup fits with Goodme’s low price strategy, but it's more than a mere seasonal gimmick. Designed as a "traffic-generating product" (引流产品), the 500ml iced water cup is only available for in-store purchase.
It’s a ploy to get punters through the door, who are then tempted to buy other drinks, like another new summer product from Goodme, the 2.5 yuan 'Fresh Iced Lemonade' (柠檬冰水), launched at the same time.
The iced water also puts Goodme in direct competition with convenience stores, where similar offerings typically range from 3 to 9 yuan.
This aligns with a long-held belief of founder, Wang Yun’an:
"Our true competitor is bottled beverage brands."
古茗真正的对手，是瓶装饮料。
The One Yuan Ice Cup addresses a common customer hesitation—wanting a cup of water when in store. It’s offered as a free perk in some fast food restaurants, but is generally not listed on the menu of tea shops.
"The underlying significance lies in transforming a 'small request that's typically awkward to ask for' into a product that can be directly ordered."
它背后的意义，是把一个“本来不好开口的小请求”，变成了一个可以直接下单的商品。[2]
Related
One-yuan Ice Cup has resonated with China's price-sensitive young consumers.
It also has viral appeal. It’s seen as customisable, easily combined with juice, fruit pieces, or instant coffee,
Customers then share images of their creations on social media, turning this basic low-cost drink into an effective (and free) marketing tool for Goodme, driving brand awareness and footfall.
If the brand introduces a One Yuan Ice Cup, users on platforms like RedNote and WeChat Moments will naturally share it as a 'one-yuan summer cooling essential'.
This kind of organic, user-driven promotion can rival the impact of celebrity endorsements—and it doesn't cost a cent."
你出一个“一元冰水”，小红书朋友圈就会有人晒“一块钱解暑神器”。这种自发传播效果不比找明星代言效果差，还不用付广告费。
Goodme isn't the first to employ this strategy.
Mixue Bingcheng (蜜雪冰城), China’s largest tea chain, introduced a similar 1 yuan ice cup last summer:
On the surface, it appears to be "a loss leader", but in reality, it leverages the psychology of "since I'm already here, I might as well…"
Chances for customers who visit the store for a 1 Yuan Ice Cup to add a milk tea to their order increase significantly, when they take a glance at the menu.
表面上赔本赚吆喝，实际上玩的是“来都来了”的心理学。消费者为了1块钱冰水走进店里，抬头一看菜单，顺手带杯奶茶的概率直接拉满。
Both brands are not only generating online attention and offline footfall, they’re also enjoying substantial commercial returns thanks to the clever positioning and pricing.
It’s also a reminder that even as consumer confidence remains low in China, for the right product, and right price, consumers are still willing to spend—like we saw with “group take-out” (拼好饭) trend last summer.
That’s what we’re exploring this week!
🎧RTM Podcast Preview
This week on the RTM Advanced podcast, we're unpacking internet slang phrases used to describe the One Yuan Ice Cup:
“Game changer” (王炸 wáng zhà)
“Mind blowing” (炸裂 zhà liè)
“Genius product” (神器 shén qì)
Tune in at 3 minutes where we break down what they mean, how native speakers use them, and how you can use them in real conversations.
Favourite Five
1. 王炸 wáng zhà
trump card, game-changer
该类别中还有另一个王炸单品——2.5元起的鲜活柠檬水 - There’s another game-changing product in this category—fresh lemonade starting at just 2.5 yuan. [3]
2. 整活儿 zhěng huó’r
to pull a stunt to attract attention
发现古茗最近整了个新活儿，卖一块钱的冰水 - It turns out Goodme recently pulled a new stunt: selling iced water for just one yuan. [1]
3. 水灵灵 shuǐ līng līng
vividly, unexpectedly
而这时候，古茗水灵灵地复刻了雪王的两大夏日引流单品，甚至把柠檬水卖得比蜜雪冰城还便宜 - But to everyone’s surprise, Goodme simply replicated two of Mixue’s top traffic-driving summer items, even pricing the lemonade cheaper than the original. [3]
4. 赔本赚吆喝 péi běn zhuàn yāo he
sell at a loss to gain exposure, loss leader
表面上赔本赚吆喝，实际上玩的是“来都来了”的心理学 - On the surface, it appears to be a loss leader, but in reality, it leverages the psychology of "since I'm already here, I might as well…" [3]
More: read more about the origins of this phrase in tomorrow’s Sinica Phrase of the Week!
5. 一力降十会 yí lì xiáng shí huì
brute force beats strategy, strength over skill
五块钱的柠檬水、三块钱的甜筒，所谓一力降十会，至今没有友商能下探到雪王的价格舒适区 - Five-yuan lemonade, three-yuan ice cream —this is a case of brute force beating strategy (cheap price beating marketing stunt). To this day, no competitor has been able to match Mixue’s price. [4]
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