FOR STARBUCKS, THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

摘要

When Starbucks Corp. opened its first Japanese cafe in Tokyo's fashionable Ginza shopping district in 1996, it was an overnight smash. Today, with 467 Starbucks stores―117 opened last year alone―Japan boasts Starbucks' biggest foray outside the U. S. And it is the centerpiece of the company's critical overseas expansion strategy. Trouble is, after just two profitable years, Starbucks is no longer making money in Japan. On May 20, Starbucks' Japanese business, a joint venture with the tea-shop and interior-goods chain Sazaby Inc., announced an annual loss of $3.9 million on revenues of $467 million.