Starbucks opens two flagship stores in China

Starbucks Coffee Company opened two flagship stores in China on 16 September. One ‘coffee tribute’ store is located at the prestigious Kerry Center in Beijing. The company said in a statement that the store is designed to celebrate Starbucks coffee heritage and leadership. The second location is an ‘eclectic chic’ 24-hour store in the heart of the cosmopolitan Taikoo Li Sanlitun district of Beijing. The company said that store is symbolic of the energetic pulse of modern China. “We are very proud of these two new iconic flagship stores in China,” said John Culver, Starbucks Group President, China and Asia Pacific, Channel Development and Emerging Brands, in a statement. “These new stores reflect our commitment to consistently elevate the Starbucks Experience while achieving the balance between representing our 42-year coffee heritage and China’s modern lifestyle.” The new flagship stores in China were designed by members of the in-house Starbucks Global Design team and the local Starbucks China Design Studio, one of 18 international design offices worldwide.  As a ‘coffee tribute’ store, the Kerry Center flagship store is a two-story design, built with coffee bars on both the lower and upper levels. The store features locally-relevant design elements, by local artists, designed to bring-to-life the Starbucks bean-to-cup journey and coffee heritage.  Reflecting the energy of a 24-hour store in one of the most current and cosmopolitan lifestyle sites in China, the bold design of the Taikoo Li Sanlitun store is designed to welcome customers who want their coffee on-the-go in a fast-moving, energetic site. The ceiling-to-floor glass windows at the store present a view of the site’s courtyard. On the weekend, the second floor features live music, called ‘Club 1971,’ in honor of the year that Starbucks was founded. “We have been embraced so richly and warmly in China and the flagship stores are our way of celebrating the local community and our customer connection through tangible expressions of the inspiration we drew from Chinese culture, art, music and most importantly, the optimistic and positive energy of its people,” said Culver in a statement. “Today is a proud moment as we peer into the future of the Starbucks Experience in China with the opening of these two iconic flagship stores.”