Designed as a coffee chain enabled by a digital platform, Luckin Coffee Inc. leveraged extensive customer behavior data gathered from its application (app), information systems, and technologies to offer innovative customer experience and high operational efficiency. Merging online with offline channels, this digital start-up quickly grew into a formidable competitor for Starbucks Corporation in China and became a star in the technology industry. Luckin was listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market in 2019, bringing additional capital to fuel its ambitious growth. However, in 2020, a report revealed a deep scandal, showing falsified financial and operational figures. The scandal could have a profound and far-reaching impact and offers lessons for the business world and beyond.

Designed as a coffee chain enabled by a digital platform, Luckin Coffee Inc. leveraged extensive customer behavior data gathered from its application (app), information systems, and technologies to offer innovative customer experience and high operational efficiency. Merging online with offline channels, this digital start-up quickly grew into a formidable competitor for Starbucks Corporation in China and became a star in the technology industry. Luckin was listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market in 2019, bringing additional capital to fuel its ambitious growth. However, in 2020, a report revealed a deep scandal, showing falsified financial and operational figures. The scandal could have a profound and far-reaching impact and offers lessons for the business world and beyond.