CHINA DAILY Wednesday, November 2, 2016 BUSINESS 15 BEVERAGES Starbucks brews up big expansion plans CEO believes the Schultz’s huge vision: something company’s business in more than selling coffee China will someday exceed that in US Among the 2,500 or so “Shanghai is a natural new Starbucks stores to be place to open up what we By XU JUNQIAN mushrooming all over China think will be the most signifi­ in Shanghai within the next five years, cant, dynamic, sensory, the­ there is one particular outlet atrical and romantic retail Starbucks CEO Howard that the world’s largest cof­ experience in the world,”said Schultz has made no bones fee brand is pinning hopes Schultz. about his ambition in China — on to sell something more As the Chinese are to have one new Starbucks than coffee. increasingly discerning cof­ every day in China for the next The Starbucks Reserve fee­sippers and are quickly five years. Roastery in Shanghai, the catching up with their world What Schultz is also candid second one of its kind after counterparts, they are look­ about, as a businessman, is the inaugural store in its ing beyond their coffee mugs how his ambition is going to be home market of Seattle, is with a growing thirst for realized — through employees, scheduled to open late in where and how the beverage or in the language of Star­ 2017,with a whopping space is made, as well as a better bucks, “partners”. of 30,000­square­foot sip. Starbucks first devel­ “Starbucks, unlike most tra­ (2,738 square meters), twice oped the new retail space in ditional consumer brands, has the size of its Seattle sister. 2014 in Seattle, which offers not built the company by tradi­ “We are making a huge customers a glimpse of the tional advertising. The brand financial bet on Shanghai, whole process of coffee­ has been defined by experi­ and what the roastery will making. ence, and that experience is represent. This is a part of It later announced a slew defined by our people — part­ investing ahead of the curve of plans to expand it globally ners wearing green aprons,” and is a demonstration to — one in New York and Schultz told China Daily, dur­ Employees serve customers at a Starbucks store in Fuzhou, Fujian province. ZHENG SHUAI / FOR CHINA DAILY the world and our US share­ another in Tokyo, aside from ing his latest trip to Shanghai holders,”said Howard the Shanghai site. in late October. Schultz, the company’s CEO, “It was not a hard decision Starbucks enjoys great suc­ fee is the most recent case. Chinese coffee market would to China Daily. (to locate the first interna­ cess in China — more than “What we believe, as a com­ be any different if it were not The store will double the tional roastery in Shanghai). 2,400 stores in over 110 cities pany, is that China will one day Starbucks which entered the investment lavished on the We have been very clear and throughout the past 17 years probably surpass the size and country back in 1999, he Seattle location, which is definitive about the strategic and supported by over 34,000 scale of our business in the US,” paused and said he doesn’t said to be over $20 million, importance and confidence employees. The coffee scene of said Schultz. think any other company and occupy two floors of the that Starbucks has for the China, the world’s potentially Consultancy firm Euromoni­ would have been able to solidi­ highly anticipated luxury Chinese economy and gov­ largest consumer market for tor estimated that Starbucks fy the position that Starbucks shopping mall, Swire, to be ernment and what we the beverage, has also been had a 73.3 percent market has, “because I think we have opened in Shanghai. It will believe to be a very signifi­ radically changed. share in China in 2015, com­ done it in the right way”. share the same neighbor­ cant opportunity to grow our Back in 1999 when the com­ pared to McCafe’s (run by Schultz said he believes that hood as flagship stores of company,”said Schultz. pany first entered the Chinese McDonald’s) 9.3 percent and the key growth driver for Star­ the likes of Louis Vuitton and “When we open in Shang­ mainland market, there was Costa Coffee’s 9 percent. bucks in China will still be tra­ Gucci. hai in about a year from now, barely any competitor and few “Any company that sells cof­ ditional stores, despite the The space, as its full name it will be one of most signifi­ consumers could tell the differ­ fee can be a competitor. Not market’s keen interest in new suggests, will be part café, cant milestones in the histo­ ence between a latte and a with any arrogance, but we premium retail spaces — the China will one day probably sur­ part roasting facility and part ry of the company. And I am mocha. Now, like many other have always tried to focus on Starbucks Reserve and Star­ theater.It will feature varie­ gratified it’s in China. It industries, China is not only a ourselves and things we can bucks Roastery. pass the size and scale of our ties of coffee beans that are deserves to be in China,”he fast rising consumer of the bev­ control. And if we do that well, rarer,smaller in batches, and added. erage, but also increasingly we will take care of the compe­ ontact the writer at xujunqi­ business in the US.” of course, higher in price. XUJUNQIAN catching up with the trends tition,”said Schultz. [email protected]@chi­ and happenings. Specialty cof­ When asked if he thinks the nadaily.com.cn Howard Schultz, Starbucks CEO Expo special Expanding Silk Road biz, trade cooperation Expo aims to ease By Zhou Mo creation of new in Dongguan, Guangdong [email protected] The 2016 Guangdong intl opportunities 21st Century Maritime Silk Road International Expo held last week, provided a By Zhou Mo tion of foreign trade in Dong- platform to promote the in Dongguan, Guangdong guan and across the country, expanding economic and Dongguan Party Chief Lyu trade cooperation between In the Sabah pavilion at Yesheng said at the open- Chinese enterprises and the 2016 Guangdong 21st ing ceremony of the annual those from 21st Century Century Maritime Silk Road event. Maritime Silk Road coun- International Expo, Ming Economic and trade coop- tries. Lee is introducing the east- eration between Dongguan T h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l ern Malaysian state’s tourism and countries and regions expo, which wrapped up products in detail to a Chi- along the maritime route has in Dongguan on Sunday, nese visitor. been expanding over recent attracted 1,526 enterprises, It is the first time she has years. of which 1,098 were over- attended the event. As a sales Export and import trade seas and the remainder and marketing executive of volume between the two were domestic. Sabah-based travel agency sides reached $29.12 billion This year’s expo saw 700 Kayworld Travel and Tours, last year, representing 18.1 projects signed, totaling Lee believes attendance at percent year-on-year growth, 206.8 billion yuan ($30.5 the expo will help her com- according to official statis- billion), representing pany gain better access to the tics. growth of 2.5 percent from Chinese market, which has Known as China’s manufac- the previous year. already become the world’s turing hub, Dongguan export- Among these agreements, largest source of outbound ed a total of $16.73 billion 187 were related to invest- tourists. worth of products to maritime ment projects worth a total “The number of Chinese road countries and regions in of 54.1 billion yuan. Some A visitor checks a piece of amber from Poland at this year’s Guangdong 21st Century Maritime Silk Road International Expo. tourists to Sabah is grow- 2015, rising 25.2 percent com- 63 ‘Going Out’ projects ZHENG ZHIBO / FOR CHINA DAILY ing very quickly. China has pared with a year earlier. attracted Chinese enter- become our company’s main Meanwhile, $12.39 billion prises, with agreements target market for the coming worth of commodities were altogether worth 33.5 bil- in accessing more overseas SA and The Vanguard years,” Lee said. imported to Dongguan from lion yuan. clients.” Group also sent purchas- “Previously, we could only maritime route countries Enterprises also made Yang Lei, strategy and ing teams to the expo. answer inquiries from Chi- and regions in the same year, 450 trade deals amounting brand manager of Dong- “Guangdong will make full nese customers through a 9.6 percent yearly increase. to 119.2 billion yuan during guan Yongqiang Vehicles use of the expo as an interna- email or our WeChat account. The expo not only attract- the four-day event. Manufacturing Co Ltd, said Guangdong will make full use of the tional platform to enhance Now, by exhibiting our tour- ed a large number of busi- According to Sunward the expo allows his com- cooperation and exchanges ism products at the expo, peo- ness people who hope to Intelligent Equipment Co pany to march into interna- expo as an international platform to with countries and regions ple can gain better knowledge showcase their specialties, Ltd, a Changsha, Hunan- tional markets much more along the 21st Century Mari- of our company and products, but also buyers from all over based company that produc- easily and quickly.