Starbucks expands into inland China
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U.S. coffee chain giant Starbucks opened its 400th bar on the Chinese mainland in the central Hunan Province Thursday, expanding its presence in China's second-tier cities.
Starbucks opened two bars the same day in two business centers in Changsha, capital of Hunan, making it the second city in central China to host Starbucks after Wuhan, capital of neighboring Hubei Province, said Wang Jinlong, board chairman of Starbucks Greater China.
"China is the second largest market of Starbucks, following the United States," Wang said.
"China's second tier cities, and even the third and fourth tier cities, represent remarkable opportunities for Starbucks," he said.
Starbucks opened its first coffee bar of China in Beijing in 1999. The company also has about 400 coffee bars in Macao, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
