NEW YORK/SHANGHAI -- Starbucks aims to more than double its store numbers in Asia over the next five years, according to the chain's Asia head John Culver, in order to cultivate a key market as competition in the U.S. intensifies.
The world's largest coffee chain was operating about 4,600 branches across Asia as of the end of September. It hopes to boost the number to 10,000 in five years, putting it on a par with the current figure in its home market of the U.S.
