Starbucks stores in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and some cities in Guangxi and Hainan have recently quietly launched "self-study room" services.A store clerk in Shenzhen confirmed that stores in this area that provide self-study spaces do not require consumption and reservations, and provide free power sockets and warm water;The Guangzhou store clerk pointed out that the self-study area in his store is not completely separated from the beverage area, and customers can study and work at the shared long table.
Starbucks officials responded that the move was aimed at meeting customers' needs in diverse scenarios and continuing to create a unique "third space" through innovative services and high-quality store experiences.
This is not Starbucks’ first attempt to integrate new business formats. In November 2021, it opened the mainland's first shared space concept store in Raffles City, Shanghai. This approximately 200-square-meter store has nearly 100 seats and is divided into four functional areas: a paid conference room, a semi-open single area, a discussion sofa area, and a leisure area, which significantly draws on the spatial concepts of study rooms and libraries.
Since entering China in 1999 with the concept of "third space", Starbucks has been deeply involved in this market for 26 years. now,The size of China's coffee market has exceeded 120 billion yuan, but this former "pioneer" is facing a key node in transformation and business optimization. The launch of self-study services can be seen as an exploration of the value of the core "third space" in a fiercely competitive market environment.
At the same time, market rumors about changes in the equity of Starbucks’ China business continue to ferment.According to reports, Starbucks has received multiple acquisition proposals for its Chinese business, with most investors seeking a controlling stake.The latest news shows that Starbucks may consider retaining about 30% of its shares, and the rest will be divided among multiple buyers, with each company's shareholding ratio expected to be less than 30%. This potential change also adds uncertainty to Starbucks China's future development path.
