Can Nowwa Coffee steal the limelight from China’s affordable coffee giants?

In a market dominated by fast-growing affordable operators, Nowwa Coffee is showing that value in China isn’t just a race to the bottom

If there is one word that has come to dominate the world’s largest branded coffee shop market, it’s affordability. Market leaders Luckin Coffee, Cotti Coffee and Lucky Cup have stormed ahead of other premium coffee chains, converting swathes of young consumers into daily coffee drinkers with heavily discounted RMB 9.9 ($1.40) beverages.

However, one affordable coffee chain is quietly bucking that trend to prove that value doesn’t revolve solely around ultra-low prices.