Giants such as Starbucks and Pacific Coffee will open 250 stores in Costa in three years.

As an imported product, coffee is not only a kind of drink in China, but also a symbol of a new way of life. Cafes are springing up in big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. Despite the global economic downturn, international coffee giants have increased their investment in China while cutting stores in their home market.

Recently, Aix, Starbucks, Costa and other international well-known coffee chains continue to accelerate the pace of expansion in mainland China. Pacific Coffee, a subsidiary of China Resources, has also made rapid efforts with the help of the strong channel advantages of China Resources Group, opening the 100th store in mainland China, and the whole coffee industry is showing a scene of prosperity.

"the coffee market in mainland China is in a rising range." Li Xianglu, director of Aix Coffee China, said.

Starbucks has never lagged behind in its expansion and has proposed plans to open 1500 stores in China by 2015. Despite the recent economic slowdown, Starbucks boss Howard Schultz has said publicly that he is very bullish on the Chinese market.

British coffee giant Costa, which is regarded as Starbucks' strongest competitor in the Chinese market, also put forward a plan to open 250 new stores within three years this year. At present, Costa is the fastest expanding brand in the Chinese coffee chain industry. Since it opened its first store in mainland China in 2006, it has about 200 stores and plans to reach 2500 by 2018.

Pacific Coffee recently launched its 100th store on Xiushui Street in Beijing. "this year, Pacific Coffee will open 50 chain stores in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and other cities," said Tang Guojiang, CEO of Pacific Coffee.

In addition to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, the international coffee chain is also moving westward. At present, only in Chengdu and Chongqing, Starbucks has expanded to more than 30 stores, which is just a microcosm of the westward advance of the international coffee giant.

Costa opened the western market in 2011 and laid out in Chongqing and Chengdu, five years after it entered the mainland market. According to Costa, there are now six Costa stores in Chongqing and one in Chengdu. In addition, Pacific Coffee opened its first store in Jiefangbei, Chongqing, in August last year, and plans to expand the number of stores in 2013.

In addition, Lavazza, a century-old Italian coffee shop, also has plans for the western market. In 2010, Lavazza opened its first store in Jiefangbei pedestrian Street in Chongqing. In August last year, Lavazza moved to Tianjie, Beicheng, Chongqing.

Bai Fang, secretary general of the Beijing Coffee Industry Association, said that investors are more willing to put their money in the sunrise industry, while China's coffee market is precisely a sunrise industry.

(responsible Editor: Leo)