Starbucks arrives in Laos
With the coronavirus pandemic still sweeping across Southeast Asia, US coffee house chain Starbucks is thinking a few years ahead and announced plans to expand to Laos, the 17th Asian country it would be operating after the launch.
The Seattle-based company said it plans to open the first shop in the Laotian capital Vientiane by next summer, adding to some 10,000 outlets it already operates across Asia.
The outlet will be operated by Coffee Concepts (Laos) Ltd., a unit of Hong Kong-based food, beverage and restaurant chain Maxim’s Caterers Ltd. Through Coffee Concepts, Starbucks now operates more than 800 stores across Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand. Across Southeast Asia, Laos is the last country where Starbucks had no presence so far through local franchisees.
Coffee servings with “locally relevant approach”
Starbucks said in a statement that it intends to use its global scale to have a positive impact and career opportunities in the largely undeveloped, landlocked Southeast Asian country. It also emphasised that it intends to take a “locally relevant approach” for its customers, both tourists and Laotians.
“We will take a thoughtful approach to driving sustainable growth in Laos and look forward to contributing to the country’s vibrant coffee culture,” a Starbucks statement said.
Starbucks’ entry into Laos comes as the company’s recovery in store sales and operating margin have been squeezed by surges in coronavirus cases in the US and Europe, while Asian markets seem to recover gradually.
With the coronavirus pandemic still sweeping across Southeast Asia, US coffee house chain Starbucks is thinking a few years ahead and announced plans to expand to Laos, the 17th Asian country it would be operating after the launch. The Seattle-based company said it plans to open the first shop in the Laotian capital Vientiane by next summer, adding to some 10,000 outlets it already operates across Asia. The outlet will be operated by Coffee Concepts (Laos) Ltd., a unit of Hong Kong-based food, beverage and restaurant chain Maxim’s Caterers Ltd. Through Coffee Concepts, Starbucks now operates more than 800 stores...
With the coronavirus pandemic still sweeping across Southeast Asia, US coffee house chain Starbucks is thinking a few years ahead and announced plans to expand to Laos, the 17th Asian country it would be operating after the launch.
The Seattle-based company said it plans to open the first shop in the Laotian capital Vientiane by next summer, adding to some 10,000 outlets it already operates across Asia.
The outlet will be operated by Coffee Concepts (Laos) Ltd., a unit of Hong Kong-based food, beverage and restaurant chain Maxim’s Caterers Ltd. Through Coffee Concepts, Starbucks now operates more than 800 stores across Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand. Across Southeast Asia, Laos is the last country where Starbucks had no presence so far through local franchisees.
Coffee servings with “locally relevant approach”
Starbucks said in a statement that it intends to use its global scale to have a positive impact and career opportunities in the largely undeveloped, landlocked Southeast Asian country. It also emphasised that it intends to take a “locally relevant approach” for its customers, both tourists and Laotians.
“We will take a thoughtful approach to driving sustainable growth in Laos and look forward to contributing to the country’s vibrant coffee culture,” a Starbucks statement said.
Starbucks’ entry into Laos comes as the company’s recovery in store sales and operating margin have been squeezed by surges in coronavirus cases in the US and Europe, while Asian markets seem to recover gradually.
