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Starbucks’ Strategy

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What are some of the decision factors that Starbucks assess?
Starbucks ' strategy for expanding its retail business is to increase its market share in existing markets and to open stores in new markets where the opportunity exists to become the leading specialty coffee retailer. In support of this strategy, the Company opened 647 new stores during the fiscal year end in September of 2001. At fiscal year end, Starbucks had 2,971 Company-operated stores in 38 states, the District of Columbia and five Canadian provinces (which comprise the Company-operated North American retail operations), as well as 252 stores in the United Kingdom, 25 stores in Thailand and 18 stores in Australia (which comprise the Company-operated international retail …show more content…

Second, consultants said that no Chinese would ever lose face by drinking from a cup in the street since the Chinese preferred not to eat or drink in public. Starbucks’ no-smoking policy came out of its desire for nothing – cologne, perfume, nor tobacco smoke – to interfere with the smell of their dark-roasted beans. Upon entering Asia, Starbucks stuck with its no-smoking policy, which according to interviews turns out to be a welcomed policy. Even the smokers claimed not to have a problem with smoking outside.

Although the Chinese dislike drinking in public, the high awareness of the brand and the Chinese market being so brand-driven outweighs this habit. The Chinese consumers perceived the high prices as conveying quality and sophistication. Retailers keep this in mind as they charge more for public consumption, as customers go to Starbucks if not for the coffee, but to present themselves as modern Chinese in a public setting. China 's tightly regulated business environment still throws up lots of hurdles for Starbucks. Its fragmented government and currency-conversion limits make banking difficult. "If I want to move money out of China, it 's a hellish process," says Charles Jemley, Starbucks vice president of finance in China. Book bags and coffee mugs barely made it out of customs in time for Starbucks to pass them out at a rural teacher-training session

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