Starbucks opens 5,000th store on Chinese mainland

The global leading coffee house chain Starbucks has opened its 5,000th store on the Chinese mainland on Tuesday in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, 22 years after its entrance into the tea-dominated market.

The Chinese market has become the fastest growing and the largest overseas market for the Seattle-based coffee chain operator.

In December last year, Starbucks China said it planned to open 600 new stores this fiscal year, staying on track to reach its goal to have 6,000 stores across 230 cities in the country by the end of fiscal year 2022.

Starbucks China has prioritized quality coffee, diversification of store format, innovations in consumer products and digital experiences in Chinese communities.

For example, Starbucks China has more than 400 reserve coffee stores for consumers who have a passion for coffee grown at various production sources.

The Shanghai Starbucks Reserve Roastery, launched in 2017, roasts nearly 1,000 metric tons of coffee beans annually at its 2,700-square-meter store.

The chain now has more than 50 Starbucks Now stores which is an express retail experience integrating Starbucks physical and digital customer touchpoints.

In recent years, Starbucks' Bar Mixato, which integrates the modern cafe and bar experience to appeal to young consumers, pet-friendly stores and outlets with sign language services also have been introduced to consumers in China.

In November, the coffee chain invested $156 million to build the Starbucks Coffee Innovation Park to enhance its roasting and manufacturing capacities.