country’s most experimental retail markets. Founder Zhang Bochung, who began his career in food and beverage operations, was fascinated by how rapidly China’s tea landscape was evolving. While the market was oversaturated with fruit-heavy flavour tea players, he saw that few were exploring tea’s cultural roots. Bochung founded Molly Tea in 2021 with the goal of reconnecting tea to its sensory and cultural origins. The name itself carries a layered meaning: “Molly” is a phonetic nod to mò lì, meaning jasmine, the flower that has long symbolised purity and beauty in Chinese culture. Jasmine tea became the company’s foundation. The concept took off almost immediately. In its first two years, the company raised multiple rounds of funding to support its expansion. But Zhang resisted the temptation to chase growth at all costs. His belief was simple. A tea brand should evolve like the brewing process itself – slow and intentional. Visually-focused marketing, in a cup Molly Tea draws inspiration from high-end fashion and lifestyle brands. Its campaigns resemble those of luxury houses: moody, cinematic visuals paired with poetic copy that hints at philosophy as much as flavour. A Valentine’s Day promotion featured a ripening apple as a metaphor for love; a summer campaign placed a lone model and a cup of tea amid a vast desert. “In China, Molly Tea has also started using celebrities in its marketing, which is really effective,” Olivia Plotnick, founder of Wai social, told Inside Retail. “They’re even exploring what I’d call a healthier direction – though milk tea isn’t exactly a healthy drink – offering lower-calorie options or juice-based alternatives that appeal to changing consumer preferences.” Molly Tea’s merchandise strategy also borrows from the luxury and lifestyle playbook. It offers merchandise and accessories, ranging from scented candles to flameless aroma diffusers and car air fresheners.  In the past, the company has also collaborated with other brands, such as Hello Kitty and Shark Girl, on limited-edition merchandise. The power of going slow While early Taiwanese pioneers like Gong Cha and The Alley helped introduce milk tea to the world, the current wave of Chinese entrants – HeyTea, Chagee, and now Molly Tea – are redefining what the category represents. “Milk tea brands like Heytea, Chagee, and now Molly Tea are tapping into emotional consumption,” Plotnick added. “They market to consumers in a way that makes them feel they’re getting a small luxury, a little treat or something that lifts their mood. I almost put them in the same category as Pop Mart: constantly creating new collaborations and constantly refreshing the experience.” This “affordable indulgence” is what analysts see as the secret to the new-style tea phenomenon. Each drink offers novelty, sensory pleasure and a sense of participation in something cool and ephemeral. In China, Molly Tea has indeed embraced that playbook – rolling out frequent limited editions and seasonal launches. “Brands like Chagee, Heytea and Molly Tea are also experimenting with different types of storytelling as they expand into new markets,” Plotnick said. “They’re not relying heavily on their ‘Chineseness’ but instead figuring out how to integrate with local customs and localise their products. “I think in this new wave of tea brands going global, you see them adapting well to the trend of emotional consumption – offering constant novelty, freshness and an affordable indulgence. It’s that idea of a small moment of joy: treating yourself to a milk tea.” According to Fortune Business Insights, the global bubble tea market is on track for robust expansion, with the market expected to rise from US$2.83 billion this year to US$4.78 billion by 2032, primarily driven by China.  This momentum has triggered a wave of IPOs from brands such as Chagee, Mixue, Guming and ChaPanda. Yet amid the rush, Molly Tea stands out for the direction of its expansion – Westward. Unlike many Chinese tea brands that initially expanded into Southeast Asia, Molly Tea targeted Western markets directly. Over the past year, it has expanded into the US, Canada and Australia, with London marking its first major foothold in Europe. The strategy is to build a presence in neighbourhoods with strong Chinese and Asian diasporas before moving into mainstream retail zones. Its first overseas store in Flushing, New York, reportedly generated more than US$420,000 in sales in its first month. Since then, new outlets in San Francisco, Chicago, and Toronto have helped the brand build momentum. “What’s also interesting is that when these brands expand overseas, they can’t immediately replicate the massive offline footprint they have in China,” Plotnick said.  “Nor do they have access to the same cheap, efficient delivery infrastructure, especially in markets like the US or Europe. So they have to rely more on storytelling, branding and local collaborations – with celebrities, local IPs, or cultural tie-ins.” The company has also recently ramped up its expansion in Thailand, with Indonesia in the pipeline. Molly plans to operate more than 300 international locations by the end of this year. “This is part of a broader wave of Chinese brands learning to lean into storytelling and brand identity as they go global. It’s fascinating to see how they adapt and evolve their personalities as they expand abroad,” she concluded. Further reading: How Chagee’s first quarterly results signal a global growth story in the making.