History

Milestone after milestone we are reminded that our progress and our successes only happen because of our amazing, hard-working partners and the customers they serve. While our growth could be considered phenomenal, we maintain our humility and look forward to the next decade serving our valued Chinese customers and sharing the coffee culture.

History

1999
1ST Starbucks
Store

In January 1999, Starbucks entered the Chinese mainland market by opening its 1st store in the China World Trade Building, Beijing
Stores

~6500
STORES IN OVER 250 CITIES ACROSS THE CHINESE MAINLAND

Starbucks currently operate more than 6,500+ stores in over 250 cities in the Chinese mainland, employing more than 60,000 partners.
Responsibility

1,600,000
HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE

Starbucks has been serving local communities and initiating social responsibility programs in different regions and cities after entering the Chinese mainland market. Since 2011, Starbucks partners and volunteers have served more than 1,600,000 hours in our community.

Starbucks Global

Founded in 1971 with the opening of the 1st location in Seattle’s Pike Place Market selling coffee beans only
Howard Schultz joined Starbucks in 1982 as director of retail operations and marketing
Schultz purchased the company in 1987 and Starbucks Coffee Company opened the first store to sell brew coffee and espresso beverages
Completed IPO on NASDAQ in 1992 under the trading symbol “SBUX”, thus opening a new chapter of growth for the company
Now, Starbucks has more than 32,000 stores and employs more than 400,000 partners in 82 countries around the world.

Starbucks China Milestones

1999 - Starbucks opened its first store in mainland China in Beijing.
2009 - In celebration of its 10th anniversary in mainland China, Starbucks introduced its first blend that includes coffee beans from Yunnan province - South of the Clouds.
2011 - Starbucks refreshed its logo and launched My Starbucks Rewards program.
2012 - Starbucks University (China) was established.
2012 - Starbucks first Farmer Support Center in Asia was established in Pu’er, Yunnan province.
2013 - Starbucks China launched its first two flagship stores in Beijing.
2014 - Starbucks Reserve® was launched in mainland China.
2015 - Howard Schultz, executive chairman of Starbucks Coffee welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping in Seattle.
2015 - Starbucks launched its official Tmall store.
2016 - Shanghai, China was named as the first overseas location for Starbucks Roastery and Reserve® Tasting Room.
2017 - Starbucks launched its first single origin Chinese coffee bean - Starbucks Yunnan Coffee.
2017 - Starbucks launched “Say it with Starbucks”, a new social gifting feature on WeChat, in China.
2017 - Starbucks announced the provision of critical illness insurance for partners’ (employees) parents in China.
2017 - Starbucks acquired remaining shares from its East China joint venture partner to become the sole operator of all Starbucks stores in mainland China.
2017 - Starbucks won “Aon Best Employers – China 2017” Award, has received this recognition after winning the award in 2013 and 2015.
2017 - Starbucks opened the Shanghai Reserve Roastery - the first fully immersive coffee wonderland in China.
2017 - Starbucks Reserve® Shanghai Roastery introduces Italian artisan bakery Princi to Asia.
2017 - Starbucks Foundation and Starbucks China announced donations totaling approximately $20 million USD (RMB 132 million) over the next five years to drive social impact in communities across China.
2018 - Starbucks first-ever China Investor Conference was held in China.
2018 - Starbucks and Nestlé formed the Global Coffee Alliance to elevate and expand consumer packaged goods and foodservice categories.
2018 - Starbucks launched social gifting feature “Say it with Starbucks” on Alipay.
2018 - Starbucks opened its first store in the coffee capital of China - Pu’er in Yunnan Province.
2018 - Starbucks opened new multi-experience flagship store – Starbucks Reserve® Beijing Fun Flagship Store.
2018 - Starbucks and Alibaba Group formed comprehensive strategic partnership to advance ‘New Retail’ and transform the customer experience.
2018 - Starbucks won “Aon Best Employers – China 2018” award.
2018 - Starbucks launched Starbucks Delivers to bring best-in-class coffee delivery experience to customers in China.
2018 - Starbucks forged partnership with China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation to jointly support coffee farming communities in Yunnan and create pathways out of poverty.
2019 - Starbucks opened the first Starbucks Reserve Café & Bakery in China, featuring artisan Italian bakery.
2019 - Starbucks launched “Love Green” environmental protection plan, inviting customers to build a green planet together through green packaging, green spaces and green ambassadors.
2019 - Starbucks launched new “Modern Mixology” beverage category in China.
2019 - Starbucks unveiled its first International Reserve Cafe & Bar Mixato in Shanghai.
2019 - Starbucks opened the first signing store in China.
2019 - Starbucks launched Starbucks Now, a mobile order & pay app technology in China.
2019 - Starbucks opened its first Starbucks Now™ store in Beijing.
2019 - Starbucks opened its flagship Reserve store in Tianjin, in a renaissance-style building constructed in 1921.
2019 - Starbucks China became the first retail brand in China’s F&B industry to be awarded FSSC22000 certification.
2019 - Starbucks launched its first Reverse Yunnan blend coffee bean - Yunnan Pu’er Baoshan, and first single origin Reserve coffee to be named after a Yunnan coffee farmer - Qingkai Farm.
2019 - Starbucks launched Bar Mixato in Starbucks Reserve® Roastery Shanghai, which serves as the hub for Starbucks cocktail innovation.
2019 - Starbucks won “Aon Hewitt Best Employers – China 2019” award for the fifth consecutive time.
2019 - Starbucks Reserve® Roastery Shanghai was certified LEED Platinum, the first in Mainland China’s food retail industry.
2020 - Starbucks announced plans for a new Coffee Innovation Park in China that will feature Starbucks largest roasting capacity outside the U.S. when operational in 2022.
2020 - Starbucks launches second phase of social impact investment with the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation to create pathways out of poverty for Yunnan’s coffee farming communities.
2020 - Starbucks launches ‘GOOD GOOD’ movement, including the introduction of a plant-based food and beverage menu.
2020 - Starbucks accelerates pace of retail innovation, inking strategic partnership with Sequoia Capital China to make strategic co-investments, and explore commercial partnerships with Chinese tech startups.
2020 - Starbucks launched new Whiskey Barrel-Aged Coffee in China.
2020 - Starbucks partnered with the China Women's Development Foundation to launch the ‘Rural Women’s Accelerator Project’, improving rural livelihoods by training women to produce and market their traditional handicraft.
2020 - Starbucks partnered with non-governmental organization ‘Shoulder Action’ to launch ‘Reading for the Future’ project to promote children literacy in Yunnan.
2020 - Starbucks launched Starbucks Now on multiple platforms in the Alibaba ecosystem in China.

Starbucks China Recognitions

The 7-Star Food Quality Award
100 Trusted Brands Award
Aon Best Employers – China 2013
51 Job 2014 Best employer
Aon Best Employers – China 2015
Best Employers - Guangzhou Daily
Top 100 Enterprises - China Corporate Social Responsibility Innovation
Most Influential - China Corporate Social Responsibility Events
Outstanding China Charity Team
Shanghai American Chamber of Commerce/Make a Difference Alliance China Foreign Investment Enterprise - Good Neighborhood Award
The 12th China Excellent Corporate Citizenship Award
Golden Bee Corporate Social Responsibility
China List: Leader Enterprise
Top Retail Brand: China’s Most Attractive Employers 2017 - Yixing Consulting
Aon Best Employers – China 2017
Aon Best Employers – China 2018
Top 10 Green Service Enterprises 2019
Aon Best Employers – China 2019
Top 10 Enterprises of Action League Charity Ceremony 2019
Brand Finance - 2020 World’s Most Valuable Restaurant Brand