SOFT DATA
There are 4,292 Starbucks in China occupying 10% of Starbucks' global stores, and is the largest overseas market for the company. Starbucks sees China as the most important market for Starbucks outside of North America. It is the premium coffee leader in China with very high brand recognition. Consumers in China see Starbucks as high quality coffee, but perhaps more importantly as a synonym of a universal quality life, and Western luxury.
Starbucks have done an excellent job of localising their product offerings to China, innovating constantly to create locally-relevant menu items. Already running 2,600 stores in 120 Chinese cities, Schultz says they plan to open a further 500 every year for the next five years. From 2016 Starbucks is investing millions of dollars in housing allowances for their Chinese barristers and store supervisors.
The 30,000-square-foot Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Shanghai opened in December 2017, its flashiest commitment to its growing Chinese business and shattered every sales record in the history of the company. The goal is to have 5,000 Starbucks in China by 2021, to achieve this a new Starbucks is opening here every day and Shanghai has the most Starbucks than any other city in the world.
On January 29, 2020, China's Q1 revenue was US $745 million, an increase of 13% year-on-year; the number of stores was 4,292, an increase of 16% year-on-year.
