(Yicai) July 9 -- Chayanyuese Tea, a popular Chinese tea drink and snack brand, said it will start selling its products in North America through e-commerce platforms, marking its first overseas foray.

Chayanyuese has set up a standalone store on Shopify and self-operated outlets on other online retail sites such as Amazon, TikTok Shop, and Walmart, the Changsha-based firm announced via social media. Operations will launch gradually from today.

About 40 products will be available at first, including snacks such as Jasmine Green Tea Flavor Potato Sticks, as well as tea sets and utensils.

But Chayanyuese will not initially sell its signature tea drinks in the North American market, it said, citing differences in tea inspection systems between China and the United States. Some tea suppliers its works with also do not have plans to expand overseas, hence tea beverages will not be included in its first step abroad.

Chayanyuese also clarified that physical stores that have reportedly been seen in South Korea, Brazil, Thailand, and Kenya are not owned by the company, and it has no plans to open brick-and-mortar outlets overseas. “Expanding physical stores internationally requires operational standards that we have yet to meet,” it said.

Chinese tea companies are venturing overseas amid intense competition in the home market. Mixue has opened stores in Japan, Thailand, and Australia, while Heytea has launched branches in Europe and North America.

Chayanyuese started in 2013, and at its peak of popularity customers would line up for hours. Scalpers would buy items such as milk tea and then resell them for CNY200 to CNY500 (USD28 to USD70) per cup.

The business has stores in many Chinese cities, including Changsha, Wuhan, and Chongqing. Its main brand had 710 shops at the end of last year, with its sub-brands such as Yuanyang Coffee, Gudemoning, and Xiaoshenxian Tea House bringing the total number to more than 900.

Editor: Tom Litting