Starbucks Unveils Two Iconic Flagship Stores in China

BEIJING, September 17, 2013 - Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) today opened two flagship stores in China featuring new, bold design concepts to delight customers with an elevated Starbucks Experience. Starbucks China unveiled a ‘coffee tribute’ concept store at the prestigious Kerry Center in Beijing celebrating Starbucks coffee heritage and leadership as well as an ‘eclectic chic’ 24-hour store in the heart of the cosmopolitan Taikoo Li Sanlitun district of Beijing that is symbolic of the energetic pulse of modern China.

Stores feature innovative, new concepts, including a “coffee tribute” design and an “eclectic chic” 24-hour store, to elevate the unique Starbucks Experience and the local community connection for customers in Beijing, China

“We are very proud of these two new iconic flagship stores in China. The new stores celebrate the unique place that coffee has in the daily lives of Chinese customers and are a reflection of our near 15-year journey in China, since we opened our first store in Beijing in 1999,” said John Culver, Starbucks Group President of China & Asia Pacific, Channel Development (CPG) and Emerging Brands. “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 eighteen international design offices worldwide. This close collaboration between the global and local teams has ensured the stores reflect Starbucks passion for coffee; sharing Starbucks coffee knowledge and culture with Chinese customers, while paying deep respect to the coffee culture and tradition in China.

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 upper bar houses ‘The Starbucks Coffee Workshop’, which invites customers to experience and discover Starbucks® unique coffees, celebrated by origin, while enjoying the finest hand-crafted espresso-beverages made by Starbucks highly trained baristas, certified as part of the Black Apron™ program and denoted by the signature black aprons. This unique store also features locally-relevant design elements, by local artists, to bring-to-life the Starbucks bean-to-cup journey and coffee heritage. Both the lower and upper level bars are carved and inked with visual images telling the story of how coffee beans are grown, sourced and processed, executed through a creative and modern interpretation of Chinese brush painting. Contemporary furniture combined with locally sourced artifacts, such as mooncake molds and repurposed Chinese blue ceramics, together with beautiful accent lighting and art, deliver an unparalleled Starbucks Experience that is distinctive to the Capital’s rich culture and traditions.

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 welcomes customers who want their coffee on-the-go in this fast-moving, energetic site and embraces customers who want a respite to connect with friends while enjoying a refreshing beverage. The ceiling-to-floor glass windows at the store present a view of the site’s courtyard, a meeting point of China’s young and cosmopolitan people, and the window side bar and patio seats allow customers to enjoy the ever-changing view of the outdoor scape, drawing upon the energetic pulse of the crowd. On the weekend, live music fills the second floor of the store, called ‘Club 1971’, in honor of the year that Starbucks was founded; bringing people together and giving aspiring musicians a stage to showcase their talent to the world.

“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. 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,” added Culver.