Food & Drinks
World’s Biggest Starbucks to Open in Shanghai
- China set to become biggest market within decade, Schultz says
- Roastery outlet in Shanghai is key element of upscale push
Starbucks Corp. sees China surpassing the U.S. as its largest market within a decade as it counts on the country’s affluent consumers to offset stagnant growth in the rest of the world.
Ramping up its focus on China, Starbucks is opening its biggest cafe in the world in Shanghai on Wednesday. The 30,000 square-feet store -- about half the size of a soccer pitch -- is part of upscale moves championed by founder and Chairman Howard Schultz. Customers at the cavernous new outlet on the West Nanjing Road shopping strip can watch beans being roasted, sample high-end brews and use a Starbucks augmented-reality digital app to interact with the store.