In China, Starbucks now has just over 7500 stores, while Luckin has more than 20,000! Why? What happened? Is there a similar trend in the West? How does Gen Z (who loves coffee) feel about Starbucks versus the interesting and innovative flavours of Luckin or the smaller non-brand-name indie coffee shops? Has Starbucks peaked? What does this say about the industry, the customer base, and coffee culture in general?
This isn't just about coffee. It's about business, marketing, culture, and an intergenerational battle for hearts, minds and the very locations where the conversations that change tomorrow will likely take place! Starbucks used to be a status symbol and a beacon for young entrepreneurs, hipsters, artists and finance bros alike. What is it now? If it's falling, where did they lose us? Who's filling the void?
Kate will be your guide in this discussion as we learn about and discuss the current state of affairs of Starbucks in China and the world, how it got there, and what might come next. Let's have a smart, deep, and incredibly culturally relevant conversation about one of the potential downfall of one the biggest companies ever and what that really says about us as a people and them as a business!