PlayMade Picks Fushi Tech to Bring Smarter Digital Service to Its Tea Shops

PlayMade brings a smarter digital layer to its stores

PlayMade announced it will use Fushi Tech’s customer relationship platform to upgrade how customers order, earn rewards and get personalized offers. The move is a clear push to make the tea chain feel quicker and more personal for people buying drinks, while giving store managers clearer digital tools to run the business.

The change affects the whole customer journey: ordering at the counter, using a mobile app or loyalty program, and the back-end reports that decide how many staff or ingredients a shop needs. For PlayMade’s customers, it should mean fewer waits, more relevant promotions and smoother loyalty rewards. For the brand, it’s a bet that better tech will keep people coming back.

What Fushi’s CRM will actually bring into PlayMade stores

Fushi’s platform is billed as an all-in-one CRM that ties ordering, loyalty and analytics into a single system. In plain terms, that means multiple features arriving at once rather than separate apps that don’t talk to each other.

On the front end, customers can expect faster, more personalized ordering. That could be shown as suggested drinks based on past purchases or location-aware menus that highlight hot items at a specific shop. Loyalty functions will be built into the experience so earning and redeeming points happens during a normal purchase rather than in a separate app.

For store teams and franchise holders, the platform promises better day-to-day tools: order flow that links mobile and in-store sales, simplified redemption handling at the point of sale, and clearer reports on what each shop sells and when. The analytics layer will aggregate transaction data into dashboards that help staff plan shifts, promotions and stock ordering.

Fushi also highlights AI-driven features such as smart product suggestions and demand forecasts. Those are the kinds of additions that aim to cut waste, avoid sold-out items and nudge consumers toward higher-margin choices without adding friction to service.

Why PlayMade is moving now

Three big forces explain the timing. First, consumers in Southeast Asia have grown used to digital ordering and tailored loyalty offers from cafes and food apps. PlayMade risks losing traffic if it feels old-fashioned compared with rivals that already nudge customers with targeted deals.

Second, the pandemic-era spike in app and mobile orders is now normal behavior, so brands that streamline that channel can lift customer frequency. PlayMade appears to be treating the CRM as a way to speed service and protect repeat visits.

Third, if the chain plans to expand across the region, having a single technology backbone makes new stores easier to bring online. Fushi’s pitch to beverage retailers is that standardizing ordering and rewards reduces complexity for franchisees and corporate ops as the network grows.

What the deal means for Fushi Tech

Landing a name-brand tea chain is a validation moment for a merchant-focused software vendor. For Fushi, PlayMade becomes a showcase customer that the company can point to when courting other cafes and quick-service chains.

The contract should accelerate Fushi’s product roadmap. Real-world testing at dozens of stores exposes the vendor to the messy details—exceptions at busy counters, staff training issues, and integration pain with existing point-of-sale systems. Solving those will turn features into proven capabilities it can sell again.

At the same time, the partnership raises the stakes on service reliability and support. If Fushi can deliver a smooth rollout, it will strengthen its credibility. If rollout struggles, the reputational cost will be immediate and visible.

From announcement lines to the counter: what staff and customers will feel

The companies framed the move as a win for convenience and loyalty. PlayMade’s statement emphasized better customer experiences and faster service. Fushi positioned the deal as evidence its platform suits beverage retailers.

On the shop floor, baristas and franchise managers will notice changes in how orders are handled and how promotions are applied. Staff training will be essential: unfamiliar screens or new checkout steps can slow service before the system speeds it up. For customers, the most visible changes will be clearer loyalty rewards, smarter recommendations and fewer out-of-stock surprises.

Company backgrounds, regional context and what could go wrong

PlayMade is a consumer-facing tea brand with a network of company-run and franchised outlets across the region. Fushi Tech positions itself as a commerce and CRM provider for retail and hospitality merchants, selling software that ties customer data into daily operations.

The Southeast Asian market is crowded with food-tech vendors and payment apps, which means PlayMade’s integration must stand out in value and ease. Common risks include slow or buggy integration with existing point-of-sale systems, uneven adoption by franchisees, and training gaps that temporarily hurt service speed.

Data privacy is another real issue. Any CRM rollout collects more customer data, and both companies will need clear policies around consent, storage and use of personal information. Finally, public announcements can inflate expectations; the real test is how quickly the tech is rolled out and how consistently it improves store performance.

Overall, the partnership is a sensible step. If executed well, customers will get faster service and smarter rewards, and Fushi will earn a credible reference customer. If execution stumbles, the fuss will be about whether a shiny CRM could actually make drinks faster or simply add another screen behind the counter.

Photo: Siarhei Nester / Pexels

Sources

• prnewswire.com