Gong Cha to relaunch in Singapore with new look, marketing yet to be finalised

Gong Cha's parent company, Unison Capital, said the chain will return to Singapore in the next several months in a "bigger and better" format.According to the Straits Times (ST), Gong Cha's relaunch will include a more modern look to its stores and logo as well as a new menu tailored to the preferences of Singapore consumers. This comes after all 80 Gong Cha stores in Singapore have been converted to LiHo outlets, a move that was completed by RTG Holdings on Monday.RTG Holdings launched the Gong Cha brand locally in 2009. Meanwhile, Unison Capital, a Japanese private equity firm, owns Royal Tea Taiwan, the founder of the Gong Cha brand.In a statement to Marketing, a spokesperson for Unison Capital said the company is currently evaluating various options for relaunching the Gong Cha brand in Singapore. It has also been approached by various parties who are interested in taking up the franchisee. It is currently considering the option of opening directly-owned stores."Our marketing plans, including use of agencies, will be finalised once we have made a decision on how best to relaunch the brand," she said.Meanwhile, Unison Capital has not made a decision on Gong Cha Singapore's new logo. A spokesperson said, "Gong Cha Korea and Japan are using a new logo which was devised as part of upgrading the look and feel of Gong Cha stores."Whether or not the same logo currently in use in the other markets will be adapted for Singapore, is still yet to be decided. This is because the new logo currently being used in South Korea and Japan, was devised as part of upgrading the look and feel of Gong Cha stores in those markets.In the statement, Unison Capital also said that Singapore is among its top three markets worldwide and they have built a loyal customer base across the country over the past seven years."We intend to come back bigger and better and build on the success we have achieved," the spokesperson said.Just last month, RTG Holdings left the Gong Cha franchise to launch LiHo after Royal Tea Taiwan sold its business to Unison Capital without its knowledge. Industry experts Marketing spoke to previously had differing opinions on the rebranding.  According to ST, the Gong Cha Singapore outlets were bringing in about SG$30 million in annual revenue prior to the conversion.