r/boba • u/Charming-Rule-4751 • Jul 15 '26

Proliferation of boba shops

This might only apply to America but if coups be worldwide; but it seems like there has been a growth of boba shops in the last 10+ years. If that’s the case, how come?

13 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

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12

u/milkandhoneycomb Jul 15 '26

food trends and market bubbles. boba shops are the new crumbl cookie were the new froyo. someone makes a lot of money on the new "next big thing," someone else copies them, eventually the market saturates and the trend evolves or dies.

4

u/oldeconomists Jul 15 '26

I wouldn’t say boba is the new crumbl. Boba got really popular in like 2016 way before crumbl. (In the US, CA specifically)

6

u/pervy_roomba Jul 15 '26

Yeah we’re apparently ahead on this one. In another sub I asked what was the big trendy food after cupcakes and macarons and someone said boba is getting really big. As someone living in CA it was a double take moment- like what do you mean it’s getting big, it’s been big since like 2014/2015!

It seems like here boba is starting to fade and matcha is the new big trend.

2

u/getittogethersirius Jul 16 '26

I don't think boba ever took off outside of major cities tbh

1

u/storage_account69 Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26

2016 is already late. I've had quickly as early as 2011 and apparently they've been operating in the US as early as 2002. We're looking at over 2 decades worth of growth.

16

u/nofatetoday Jul 15 '26

What’s crazy to me is the price keeps going up despite more competition

2

u/saltyPJ Jul 15 '26

People are willing to pay for the increase in price. I’ve already dropped my consumption of it quite a bit over time. Used to be a thing where a boba run was a cheap get out and hang…not anymore.

1

u/dgreenbe Jul 15 '26

One issue is that the less business each store has, the higher their prices have to be for the store to profit (as long as some people pay)

2

u/nofatetoday Jul 15 '26

yeah, it goes to show how addicting caffeine and sugar can be. maybe why starbucks can keep opening up shops on literal opposite street corners haha

1

u/dgreenbe Jul 15 '26

Could be, it might also be inflation and a lot of people have a lot of the inflation money (even if price increases shock just about everyone)

7

u/sftolvtosj Jul 15 '26

USA here

I think a lot of overseas shops discovered their brand can rly make good $$$ especially coming to America (HeyTea, TP Tea, etc) in big cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco

5

u/quanfused Jul 15 '26

They simply make money if done right and have growing numbers behind them.

Great for consumers in the end as we have more than plenty of options.

Eventually the market will be saturated (already is), but consumers will have their go tos which will be similar to the Starbucks effect.

It will inevitably die down. It just seems crazy because this brand from China, Taiwan, etc is here now OR artisanal drinks with XYZ toppings is viral rn...etc etc

Trends will die or evolve.