ZEENAT MOORAD: Starbucks wakes China
Consider this: Starbucks opens a store in China at a rate of one every 15 hours
Starbucks is pouring faith and money into China. The country is expected to be an ever bigger contributor to the group than the US. Consider this: Starbucks opens a store in China at a rate of one every 15 hours. The ultimate (and I use this term loosely) goal is 5,000 stores — and given that it’s already at 3,000, I’d say it’s achievable. With 600 stores, Shanghai has more Starbucks stores than any other city in the world. One might ask how coffee became "Big in China" given the nearly ritualistic tradition that characterises tea-drinking. It’s accurate, I think, to say that globalisation, travel and urbanisation have influenced behaviours and attitudes. Of course, there are two things you can’t overlook: The entry into China of Western fast-food chains like KFC (since 1987) has encouraged this shift, as has the affinity with blockbuster brands, particularly among young, image-conscious people. Starbucks, which has been in the market for 18 years, struggled at first, founder and ex...
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