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网红Seesaw 破产了

作者:韦香慧 文章来源:投中网

2026-06-12 08:49

作者:韦香慧 文章来源:投中网

2026-06-12 08:49

邦小白快读

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本文梳理了国内初代网红精品咖啡Seesaw从创立崛起走到破产审查的完整过程,核心干货信息和经验教训如下:

1. 核心事件信息:Seesaw2012年创立,填补本土精品咖啡市场空白,最高估值达到10亿元,2023年巅峰时期全国布局135家门店,目前被两家供应商申请破产清算,公司被执行总金额超1400万元,创始人已被限制高消费,全国仅剩下34家正常营业的门店。

2. 可供参考的经验教训:咖啡饮品创业不能出现战略定位摇摆,拿到资本投资后不要盲目追求快速扩张,一定要平衡品牌定位和定价策略,游走在高端和大众市场中间的模糊定位,很容易让品牌陷入经营困境。

本文通过Seesaw的败局,折射了当前国内精品咖啡行业的整体现状,能给咖啡品牌商提供多方面参考,核心干货如下:

1. 行业消费趋势:当前国内精品咖啡已经结束野蛮扩张,进入全面大洗牌阶段,中间赛道生存空间被持续挤压,行业整体分化为两个明确方向,一部分品牌坚守高端体验路线,另一部分下沉抢占平价大众市场。

2. 品牌运营教训:品牌不能出现定位摇摆,既要坚守高端调性又加入价格战做下沉,既想抓小众客流又想做规模,会既稀释品牌价值又留不住目标用户;拿到融资后不能盲目快速扩张,要匹配自身能力规划扩张节奏,否则很容易引发资金链断裂问题。

本文通过Seesaw破产的典型案例,给咖啡赛道从业卖家梳理了当前行业的风险、机会与应对经验,核心干货如下:

1. 当前行业整体情况:近两年精品咖啡赛道全行业普遍经营承压,不止Seesaw,蓝瓶咖啡、皮爷咖啡、%Arabica等多个知名品牌都出现了运营变动或闭店潮,行业正在经历深度洗牌,定位模糊的中间赛道生存空间被持续挤压。

2. 风险提示:拿到资本融资后不能盲目追求开店速度,盲目扩张会快速消耗资金,同时一定要提前明确战略定位,不能在高端和平价之间摇摆不定,否则很容易陷入债务危机。

3. 机会提示:当前行业分化出两个清晰的出路,要么深耕高端小众赛道做品牌体验,要么下沉做平价走规模路线,卖家可以结合自身资源选择方向,避开中间模糊定位的陷阱。

Seesaw的起落折射出国内精品咖啡行业的整体变化,给咖啡相关生产加工工厂带来多方面启示,核心干货如下:

1. 产品生产设计方向调整:当前咖啡行业价格战愈演愈烈,行业已经分化为高端精品和平价大众两个方向,工厂在产品生产设计端需要匹配不同品牌的定位需求,做高端线要打磨品质匹配精品咖啡的调性,做大众线要严格控制成本适配低价竞争的需求。

2. 商业机会:当前行业正处于大洗牌阶段,大量经营不善的品牌出局,头部定位清晰的品牌正在拓展市场,工厂可以对接不同定位品牌的供应链需求,拓展新的合作空间。

3. 转型启示:多数咖啡品牌拿到融资后都会投入供应链建设和数字化升级,工厂可以提前布局数字化生产改造,适配品牌的数字化需求,提升自身竞争力。

本文通过Seesaw的案例展现了当前精品咖啡行业的发展趋势和品牌普遍痛点,给咖啡相关服务商提供了明确的业务方向,核心干货如下:

1. 行业发展趋势:国内精品咖啡行业已经结束资本催熟的野蛮扩张阶段,进入深度洗牌和结构分化的存量竞争期,品牌的需求从过去的跑马圈地开新店,转向梳理战略、优化供应链、升级数字化运营。

2. 客户核心痛点:当前多数精品咖啡品牌普遍存在定位模糊、战略摇摆、资金规划能力不足、无序扩张的问题,中小品牌尤其缺少专业的战略规划能力。

3. 业务方向:服务商可以针对品牌痛点,开发定位咨询、战略规划、资金管理、数字化运营等差异化服务,对应高端和平价两类品牌的不同需求,精准挖掘客户。

Seesaw的破产事件折射出当前精品咖啡品牌发展的普遍痛点,给咖啡相关线下线上平台的运营和招商带来多方面启示,核心干货如下:

1. 品牌对平台的核心需求:品牌在扩张阶段需要场地、流量、供应链相关的支持,在转型调整阶段需要战略规划、运营管理相关的帮扶,平台可以针对不同发展阶段的品牌优化配套服务。

2. 招商方向调整:当前行业已经出现明显分化,平台招商要避开定位模糊、盲目快速扩张的品牌,重点引入两类定位清晰的品牌,一类是深耕高端体验的精品咖啡,一类是走平价规模路线的大众咖啡,优化平台的品牌结构。

3. 风险规避:平台要持续关注入驻品牌的定位稳定性和资金健康情况,对定位摇摆、快速扩张又频繁关店的品牌提前做好风险防控,避免后续出现场地租赁、账款等相关纠纷。

本文提供了本土初代精品咖啡Seesaw从兴起至衰落的完整样本,展现了国内精品咖啡产业的最新动向和现存问题,核心研究相关干货如下:

1. 产业最新动向:国内本土精品咖啡产业经过十多年发展,在资本的催化下经历了一轮野蛮扩张,目前已经进入全面大洗牌阶段,多个头部精品咖啡品牌都出现了股权转让、被收购、频繁闭店等变动,行业格局正在重构,整体分化为高端坚守和大众下沉两个发展方向。

2. 产业现存新问题:当前精品咖啡行业普遍面临定位困境,上游资本催熟扩张后,中间赛道被头部两端品牌挤压,固守高端客流有限,下沉又会稀释品牌调性,战略定位摇摆很容易让品牌陷入经营危机。

3. 商业模式研究价值:资本对本土精品咖啡的发展影响深远,既推动了行业启蒙也催生了盲目扩张问题,清晰的单一定位是精品咖啡商业模式成立的核心,兼顾两端的商业模式难以在当前市场存活。

声明:快读内容全程由AI生成,请注意甄别信息。如您发现问题,请发送邮件至 run@ebrun.com 。

我是 品牌商 卖家 工厂 服务商 平台商 研究者 帮我再读一遍。

Quick Summary

This article tracks the full trajectory of Seesaw, China’s pioneering local specialty coffee brand, from its founding and rise to its current bankruptcy review process. Key takeaways and lessons learned are as follows:

1. Core timeline and facts: Founded in 2012, Seesaw filled the gap in China’s local specialty coffee market, reaching a peak valuation of 1 billion yuan and 135 stores nationwide at its height in 2023. Today, two of its suppliers have filed for bankruptcy liquidation against the company, with total enforced payments exceeding 14 million yuan. The founder has been placed on a consumption restriction list, and only 34 stores remain in operation across the country.

2. Key lessons for coffee entrepreneurs: Coffee ventures cannot afford wavering strategic positioning. After securing venture capital, avoid pursuing reckless rapid expansion, and always strike a sound balance between brand positioning and pricing strategy. A vague positioning that straddles the premium and mass markets can easily push a brand into operational distress.

Through an in-depth analysis of Seesaw’s failure, this article illustrates the current status of China’s specialty coffee industry and provides key takeaways for coffee brand owners:

1. Industry consumer trends: China’s specialty coffee sector has ended its era of unregulated expansion and entered a full-scale consolidation phase. The middle market is facing continuous compression, and the industry has clearly split into two distinct tracks: some brands stick to a premium experience-focused positioning, while others move downmarket to capture the affordable mass market.

2. Lessons for brand operations: Brands cannot afford wavering positioning. Attempting to maintain a premium brand image while joining price wars to go downstream, or chasing both niche audience and large scale simultaneously, will only dilute brand equity and fail to retain target customers. Brands must not expand blindly after securing financing, and must align expansion pace with their own capabilities, otherwise capital chain rupture is highly likely.

Using Seesaw’s bankruptcy as a case study, this article outlines the current industry risks, opportunities and actionable insights for coffee sellers:

1. Current industry overview: The entire specialty coffee track has been facing broad operational pressure over the past two years. Beyond Seesaw, other well-known brands including Blue Bottle, Peet’s Coffee and %Arabica have all undergone operational adjustments or seen waves of store closures. The industry is undergoing deep consolidation, and the vague middle positioning track sees continuously shrinking room for survival.

2. Risk warnings: Do not pursue reckless store expansion speed after securing venture capital, as unchecked growth will rapidly deplete capital reserves. Brands must also clarify their strategic positioning early on, and cannot waver between premium and affordable pricing, as this easily leads to debt crisis.

3. Opportunity notes: The industry has now split into two clear viable paths: either deepen focus on the premium niche track to build a standout brand experience, or position downstream as an affordable, volume-focused business. Sellers can choose a direction based on their own resources to avoid the trap of vague middle positioning.

The rise and fall of Seesaw reflects broader shifts in China’s specialty coffee industry, and offers multiple insights for coffee-related production and processing factories:

1. Adjusting product development and design: As price competition in the coffee industry intensifies and the sector has split into the premium specialty and affordable mass segments, factories need to align their product development and design with the positioning of different brand clients. For premium lines, factories need to refine quality to match specialty coffee branding; for mass-market lines, they must strictly control costs to meet the needs of low-price competition.

2. New business opportunities: The ongoing industry consolidation has forced many poorly operated brands to exit the market, while leading brands with clear positioning are expanding their market share. Factories can cater to the supply chain needs of brands across different positioning to unlock new cooperation opportunities.

3. Insights for transformation: Most coffee brands invest in supply chain building and digital upgrading after securing financing. Factories can get a head start on digital production transformation to meet brands’ digital requirements and improve their own competitiveness.

Through the Seesaw case, this article outlines current development trends and common pain points for brands in China’s specialty coffee industry, and clarifies viable business directions for coffee-related service providers:

1. Industry development trends: China’s specialty coffee industry has ended the capital-fueled era of unregulated expansion, and entered a deep consolidation and structural differentiation phase of存量 competition. Brand demand has shifted from opening new stores for rapid expansion to strategic restructuring, supply chain optimization, and digital operation upgrading.

2. Core client pain points: Most specialty coffee brands currently struggle with vague positioning, wavering strategy, inadequate capital planning and disorderly expansion. Small and medium-sized brands in particular lack access to professional strategic planning capabilities.

3. Recommended business directions: Service providers can develop differentiated services targeting these pain points, including positioning consulting, strategic planning, capital management and digital operation services, tailor offerings for the needs of premium and affordable brands respectively, to acquire target customers accurately.

Seesaw’s bankruptcy reveals common pain points for specialty coffee brands today, and offers multiple insights for operations and merchant recruitment for online and offline coffee-related platforms:

1. Core brand needs by stage: Brands in the expansion phase need support for locations, traffic and supply chains, while brands in the transformation and adjustment phase require support for strategic planning and operation management. Platforms can optimize their supporting services to meet the needs of brands at different development stages.

2. Adjustments to merchant recruitment strategy: As industry differentiation has become clear, platforms should avoid brands with vague positioning and reckless rapid expansion, and prioritize onboarding two categories of clearly positioned brands: premium specialty coffee brands focused on high-end experience, and affordable mass-market coffee brands pursuing volume. This helps optimize the platform’s overall brand structure.

3. Risk mitigation: Platforms should continuously monitor the positioning stability and financial health of onboarded brands, and implement pre-emptive risk control for brands with wavering positioning, rapid expansion followed by frequent store closures, to avoid future disputes over venue leases and unpaid accounts.

This article provides a complete case study of Seesaw, China’s first-generation local specialty coffee brand, from its rise to decline, and outlines the latest developments and existing problems in China’s specialty coffee industry:

1. Latest industry developments: After more than a decade of development and a round of capital-fueled rapid expansion, China’s local specialty coffee industry is now undergoing full-scale consolidation. Multiple leading specialty coffee brands have seen changes including equity transfers, acquisitions and frequent store closures, as the industry structure is being reshaped. The sector has broadly split into two development directions: premium-focused niche players and mass-market downstream players.

2. New emerging industry problems: The specialty coffee industry as a whole is currently facing widespread positioning dilemmas. After capital-fueled expansion, the middle market is squeezed by leading players at both ends of the spectrum. Sticking to the premium segment means limited customer volume, while moving downstream dilutes brand equity. Wavering strategic positioning easily pushes brands into operational crisis.

3. Value for business model research: Capital has exerted a profound influence on the development of China’s local specialty coffee industry: it drove industry early-stage growth but also fostered reckless overexpansion. A clear, single positioning is the core of a viable specialty coffee business model, and business models that attempt to serve both ends of the market are unlikely to survive in the current market.

Disclaimer: The "Quick Summary" content is entirely generated by AI. Please exercise discretion when interpreting the information. For issues or corrections, please email run@ebrun.com .

I am a Brand Seller Factory Service Provider Marketplace Seller Researcher Read it again.

估值一度达10亿元。

又一网红咖啡品牌倒了。

近日,网红连锁咖啡品牌Seesaw的运营主体上海西舍咖啡有限公司新增多例破产审查案件。破产审查申请人包括上海琉璃工房玻璃艺术品有限公司与上海玛露实业有限公司,均以上海西舍咖啡有限公司不能清偿到期债务且明显缺乏清偿能力为由,向法院申请对上海西舍咖啡有限公司进行破产清算。

Seesaw创立于2012年,是国内初代精品连锁咖啡代表。彼时国内高端咖啡市场基本被星巴克占据,本土精品连锁咖啡赛道近乎空白。品牌入局后,将精品咖啡豆、手冲咖啡等理念带给国内消费者,填补了市场空白,一度被誉为“精品咖啡黄埔军校”。

2023年3月是Seesaw发展巅峰,全国门店数量达到135家。然而,这一年年底,Seesaw的命运就急转直下,年底陆续曝出门店缩减、拖欠供应商货款等情况;2024年11月,公司及创始人、法定代表人吴晓梅被列为限制高消费人员。截至目前,该公司被执行总金额超1400万元,相关司法案件达118起。距离巅峰时期,Seesaw曾有135家门店。窄门餐眼数据显示,Seesaw全国在营门店数现为34。距离巅峰时期,门店已经关闭超100家。

值得一提的是,主打高端路线的精品咖啡连锁在这两年普遍经营承压。此前蓝瓶咖啡线下门店业务已由雀巢转交大钲资本运营;皮爷咖啡母公司JDEPeet’s,也被饮料巨头Keurig Dr Pepper以157亿欧元收购。与Seesaw齐名的精品咖啡品牌%Arabica,同样频繁传出闭店消息。

“眼看他起高楼,眼看他宴宾客,眼看他楼塌了。”本土精品连锁咖啡赛道曾风光无限的,鼎盛时期,仅上海的咖啡门店数量就超过9000家,体量远超同城多数网红业态、休闲消费品牌规模。盛景不再,潮水快速退去,一场轰轰烈烈的精品咖啡行业大洗牌,已然全面到来。

喜茶投资,估值一度达10亿元

Seesaw的开始大致可以从2012年的夏天开始算起。当时,第一家Seesaw门店在上海愚园路开业,门店选址愚园路433号,隐藏于弄堂里的静安设计中心。

创始人吴晓梅对于选址当时给出的理由是“因地制宜”。初创品牌拼不过星巴克的门店位置,但设计中心里多的是需要咖啡提神、挖掘灵感的创意人群和都市白领,Seesaw低成本找到目标用户,年轻的氛围又和咖啡文化相契合。“我们的店非常小,内场50平,外场30平,没有固定的租金,以业绩抽成的方式来计租。所有投入都很低,而且因为精准的客群带来了大量的订单,开业一两个月就开始盈利,五个月后基本回本。”

那段时间,全球与中国精品咖啡赛道正迎来第一轮资本热潮。海外方面,蓝瓶咖啡同样在2012年获2000万美元融资,被硅谷资本视为“咖啡界的Apple”;国内尽管本土精品咖啡尚处萌芽,星巴克一家独大,但资本已经开始关注这一蓝海,早期品牌,诸如雕刻时光等陆续获得资本投资,精品咖啡“被资本化”的序幕由此拉开。

作为国内初代精品连锁咖啡代表,Seesaw自然很快成为资本宠儿。

2017年6月,SeesawCoffee获得了百福控股、沃生投资4500万元融资,成为国内精品咖啡赛道第一个获得融资的品牌;2021年7月21日,SeesawCoffee宣布完成A+轮过亿元融资,投资方包括喜茶等,此次融资用于全国门店拓展、供应链建设和数字化建设;2022年2月,Seesaw再次获得数亿元的A++轮融资,黑蚁资本领投、基石资本跟投,资金用于全国门店拓展和数字化建设。其估值一度达到10亿元。

几轮融资后,Seesaw便加快了在全国范围内的扩张步伐,门店数量显著增加。特别是在2022年,其门店总数超过了160家,一年时间新开超百家门店。

全国仅剩下34家门店

风光扩张的盛况没能维持太久,Seesaw很快迎来经营拐点。

从2023年下半年开始,Seesaw被曝出密集关店,近三分之一门店陆续停业。针对这一情况,品牌解释这是主动进行战略调整,淘汰了一批和品牌定位、区域发展规划不匹配的门店。

吴晓梅就此对外表示,2021至2023年的三年规划已顺利落地,品牌完成了在一线及新一线城市的全国布局,门店规模突破百家。迈入新一轮发展周期,Seesaw将重新梳理发展方向,未来三年聚焦华东地区的一线与新一线城市,持续加密核心商圈门店。

但调整计划尚未落地,拖欠货款的质疑接踵而至。多名供应商在社交平台反映,Seesaw拖欠货款时间长达7-9个月,即便品牌先后分两次支付合计11.57万元欠款,后续依旧拖欠未结。对此Seesaw仅表示,这只是普通的商业纠纷。

进入2024年,Seesaw依旧在大规模闭店。有媒体统计,这一年Seesaw关闭了48家门店,平均每周至少关1家店。同年10月,吴晓梅被上海市奉贤区人民法院下达限制消费令。

而吴晓梅口中所说的将聚焦华东的一线和新一线城市也出现大规模闭店现象。根据社交平台上网友的爆料,Seesaw杭州、上海、苏州等地均有门店关闭,其中仅上海就有近40家门店“歇业关闭”。

时至今日,Seesaw全国正常营业的门店只剩下34家。其中上海、浙江、湖南、江苏门店相对集中,其余多数省份仅保留零星门店。

网红咖啡品牌接连倒下

Seesaw的起落,几乎完整复刻了国内精品连锁咖啡行业的发展轨迹。

不难看出,品牌发展的分水岭大致出现在2023年,创始团队在发展路线上陷入摇摆:究竟坚守高端精品定位,还是转向大众平价市场?战略方向迟迟未能敲定,落地执行也始终犹豫不决,这也成为品牌由盛转衰的核心原因之一。

吴晓梅曾提出,希望将Seesaw打造为“咖啡界的lululemon”。她认为,运动品牌lululemon凭借精准深耕小众细分赛道,形成了耐克、阿迪达斯难以撼动的竞争优势,而Seesaw也将对标这一思路,聚焦中产消费群体,主打精品咖啡体验。

但理想定位与市场现实产生了严重冲突。国内咖啡市场价格战愈演愈烈,身处行业之中的Seesaw一度加入9.9元特惠促销行列。这一定价与品牌人均32.48元的消费水平近乎存在较大的差异。这种高客单价与低价促销的矛盾、高端定位与大众化营销的错位,也是当下诸多精品咖啡品牌的共性困境:固守高端则客流受限,盲目下沉又会稀释品牌调性,中间赛道的生存空间被不断挤压。

除了Seesaw以外,精品咖啡连锁品牌都曾出现类似困境。

蓝瓶咖啡于2022年进入中国内地市场,目前在中国内地拥有15家门店,这些门店位于上海、深圳、杭州。蓝瓶咖啡仍处于亏损状态。2026年4月23日,雀巢集团在一季度财报中正式确认,旗下精品咖啡品牌蓝瓶咖啡的全球线下门店运营权已经转交瑞幸咖啡的大股东大钲资本,自身则保留咖啡机、胶囊咖啡等快消产品线。这笔交易早在传出时,就引起业内热议。

另一经典精品咖啡品牌皮爷咖啡也在2025年被以157亿欧元现金作价卖给Keurig Dr Pepper。皮爷咖啡有着“星巴克祖师爷”之称,2017年,在高瓴资本推动下,首家旗舰店落户上海东湖路,如今国内直营店数量达301家。

纵观这些品牌的选择不难看出,如今国内精品咖啡行业已告别野蛮扩张时代。纯粹依靠情怀与精品概念、定位模糊的品牌逐步出局,而头部品牌则开始分化,一部分坚守高端体验路线,依靠资本赋能优化商业模式;另一部分拥抱平价赛道,依托规模抢占大众市场。想要兼顾两端、游走在中间地带的品牌,则很容易陷入经营危机。

注:文/韦香慧,文章来源:投中网(公众号ID:China-Venture),本文为作者独立观点,不代表亿邦动力立场。

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