Starbucks China has opened its 5,000th store in Qingdao, East China’s Shandong province, after its entrance into this tea-dominated market 22 years ago.

The Chinese market has become the fastest growing and the largest overseas market for the Seattle-based coffee chain.

In December last year, it made announcements to open 600 new stores this year.  Their goal is to have 6,000 stores across 230 cities in the country by the end of 2022.

Starbucks China has prioritized quality coffee, store format diversification, innovations in consumer products, and digital experiences in Chinese communities.

The Starbucks Shanghai Reserve Roastery which was launched in 2017, roasts nearly 1,000 metric tons of coffee beans annually at its 2,700-square-meter store.

They currently have more than 400 Starbucks Reserve Coffee Stores and more than 50 Starbucks Now stores, which is an express retail experience integrating physical and digital customer touchpoints.

Starbucks China in recent years has also introduced Bar Mixato, which integrates the modern cafe and bar experience to appeal to young consumers, pet-friendly stores, and outlets with sign language services.

In November 2020, the coffee chain made an investment of $156 million to build the Starbucks Coffee Innovation Park to enhance its roasting and manufacturing capacities.