蜜雪冰城與瑞幸咖啡近年來在中國飲品市場掀起激烈競爭，但有趣的是，這兩大品牌在空間選址上卻呈現出一種微妙的「共生」現象。不論是在城市核心商圈、寫字樓密集區、商業街，還是大學城周邊，人們常常會看到一條街上，一家蜜雪冰城的門店旁邊緊跟著一家瑞幸咖啡，紅藍招牌並列成為特殊的街頭風景，甚至被網友戲稱為「紅藍相鄰」。這樣的現象看似競爭激烈，實則背後隱藏著飲品業態的市場邏輯與消費心理的深層結構。

首先，蜜雪冰城與瑞幸咖啡之所以常常開在一起，源於它們對商業地段的評估標準高度重合。無論是蜜雪冰城鎖定的大學生、年輕群體，還是瑞幸所主打的白領與上班族群體，他們的日常生活軌跡往往高度集中於人流密集的區域。像是商圈、辦公樓、學校周邊或地鐵口這些地段，既是咖啡消費的主戰場，也是奶茶銷量的主渠道。於是，當一方評估某個地段具備足夠的人流潛力並選擇進駐後，另一方也會認為該區域具有高轉換率，進而跟進設點，形成「你來我也來」的連鎖反應。這種高度重疊的選址邏輯，實際上反映的是雙方對消費人群行為模式的深刻理解。

其次，這種「紅藍相鄰」的現象，從市場策略來看，反而可能形成一種正向的集群效應。當街頭短距離內聚集多家飲品品牌，就如同打造一條「飲品打卡街」，消費者在選擇上不會只盯住一家店，而是進入「比較式消費」模式，這對品牌曝光與銷售量反而是有利的。從商業心理學角度來說，人們在日常飲品消費中，往往並不會深思熟慮，而是根據情緒、習慣與周邊環境快速決策。而當瑞幸與蜜雪同時出現在眼前時，消費者反而容易快速決定：「今天喝咖啡，明天喝奶茶」，無形中促進雙方門店的人流互動。

再進一步看，蜜雪冰城與瑞幸咖啡雖然都屬於飲品行業，但實際上切入的是兩條不同但互補的賽道。瑞幸以「高性價比咖啡」為核心定位，利用自有APP下單與線上優惠策略，抓住辦公族與通勤人群，其產品在價格與品質之間取得平衡，讓原本高門檻的咖啡文化變得更加大眾化。蜜雪冰城則是「低價奶茶」的代表，其甜度、口味更貼近學生與下沉市場，用極具價格吸引力的茶飲產品穩固大量年輕客群。從這個角度來看，雙方雖然在人群與時間段上有交叉，但並未形成直接排他式的競爭關係，反而呈現出某種「消費習慣互補」的趨勢。

此外，兩個品牌目前皆已擁有超過萬家的門店規模，且正在持續向三四線城市與鄉鎮市場下沉。當規模擴展到一定程度後，開店佈局的精細度也會大幅提升，業者傾向於「策略性集群」，也就是在競爭者周邊開設門店，一方面鞏固自身客流，另一方面透過「鄰近效應」增加消費者曝光率。特別是在房租高昂或街鋪有限的城市區域，優質地段往往本就稀缺，因此兩大品牌在有限的空間內「並肩作戰」幾乎成為不可避免的趨勢。

值得注意的是，這種「相互貼身而居」的策略並不只是單純模仿或惡性競爭，而是在當代消費文化下，是對「飲品日常化」需求的共同響應。對於年輕一代消費者來說，喝咖啡與喝奶茶已不再是特殊場合的選擇，而是日常生活的一部分。品牌若想更滲透進這種習慣，就必須靠近人流，佔據視覺與心理上的「存在感」。因此，即使同一條街上已經有對方的店，企業往往也不會退讓，反而會加快佈局。

總結來說，蜜雪冰城與瑞幸咖啡頻繁「比鄰而居」，不只是企業間的競爭結果，更是消費市場細分與飲品生活化趨勢交織下的合理現象。兩家企業以不同的產品線與客群切入飲品市場，在看似對抗的佈局背後，實則共同承擔起培養大眾日常飲品消費習慣的角色。這不僅體現出中國飲品產業的成熟，也預示著未來品牌間將從對立走向「共市共生」的新階段。

In recent years, Mixue Bingcheng and Luckin Coffee have ignited fierce competition in China’s beverage market. Yet intriguingly, these two major brands often exhibit a subtle form of symbiosis in their store placements. Whether in bustling commercial districts, office-dense areas, university towns, or shopping streets, it’s common to see a Mixue shop standing right beside a Luckin Coffee store. Their signature red and blue signs form a unique street-side visual, so frequent that netizens jokingly refer to it as the “Red-Blue Neighbor Effect.” While this phenomenon might appear to be a direct rivalry, it actually reveals deeper market logic and consumer psychology underlying the beverage industry.

At the heart of this co-location trend lies the overlapping criteria both brands use to evaluate commercial locations. Mixue primarily targets students and younger consumers, while Luckin focuses on white-collar workers and urban professionals. Interestingly, both demographics frequent high-footfall zones such as shopping centers, office complexes, school peripheries, and subway entrances. Once one brand determines an area has sufficient traffic and opens a store, the other is likely to follow suit, recognizing the same conversion potential. This “if you go, I’ll go too” chain reaction illustrates both brands’ deep understanding of consumer behavior and movement patterns.

From a market strategy perspective, this “Red-Blue proximity” can even generate a positive clustering effect. When multiple beverage stores concentrate in a small area, they create what is essentially a “drinks destination street,” encouraging consumer foot traffic and spontaneous purchases. Instead of being locked into a single brand, shoppers are placed in a comparative consumption mode, which benefits all nearby businesses. From a psychological standpoint, daily drink purchases are often driven more by mood, habit, and immediate surroundings than deep deliberation. With both Luckin and Mixue visible at once, it becomes easier for consumers to make quick decisions—“coffee today, milk tea tomorrow”—which inadvertently boosts foot traffic for both.

Digging deeper, although Mixue and Luckin belong to the broader beverage industry, they are actually operating in complementary niches. Luckin is positioned as a high-value, affordable coffee brand that uses app-based ordering and digital promotions to attract office workers and commuters. It has helped democratize coffee consumption in China, traditionally a luxury experience. On the other hand, Mixue represents ultra-affordable milk tea, with flavors and sweetness levels tailored to students and price-sensitive markets. Its appeal is rooted in low prices and wide accessibility. While some overlap in customer demographics and time slots may exist, the two brands largely serve distinct needs and don’t directly cannibalize each other’s market.

Furthermore, both brands now boast over 10,000 stores and are aggressively expanding into lower-tier cities and rural markets. At this scale, location strategy becomes more refined. Businesses lean toward tactical clustering, intentionally placing outlets near competitors—not only to secure a share of the foot traffic but also to amplify brand visibility through proximity. In densely packed urban zones with expensive rents and limited storefronts, the co-location of Mixue and Luckin is almost inevitable. These high-traffic, high-value locations are simply too important to concede.

Importantly, this practice of “living next door” is not just mindless imitation or cutthroat competition. It reflects a shared response to the evolving normalization of beverage consumption in modern Chinese lifestyles. For younger consumers, drinking coffee or milk tea is no longer reserved for special occasions—it’s part of everyday life. Brands must physically and mentally embed themselves into that routine by maximizing presence and visibility. Even when a street already has a competing store, companies are unlikely to retreat. On the contrary, they accelerate expansion to stay top-of-mind.

In conclusion, the frequent side-by-side appearance of Mixue Bingcheng and Luckin Coffee isn’t merely a sign of corporate rivalry. Rather, it’s a logical outcome of market segmentation and lifestyle integration within the beverage sector. With distinct product lines and target audiences, both brands are helping cultivate daily beverage habits among China’s mass consumer base. This not only demonstrates the maturity of the Chinese beverage industry, but also signals a potential shift from brand conflict to co-market coexistence, where competition and collaboration blur in the name of growth.