Starbucks China will require purchases for seating from October 22th and invest over 300 million yuan in store services and upgrades.
Starbucks China will require customers to make a purchase before using store seating from October 22th. The move comes as the coffee chain plans to invest more than 300 million yuan (about £32 million) in store services and upgrades in its 2027 financial year.
The company announced the policy on October 21st. Stores across mainland China will display notices explaining the new requirement.
Starbucks China also released its Third Place Initiative on the same day. It describes Starbucks stores as shared spaces and asks customers to use seating and public areas considerately.
However, the policy will allow for special circumstances. Starbucks China said staff would follow unified service guidelines and communicate with customers in a friendly manner. They would also handle reasonable requests and unexpected situations appropriately. Pregnant women and people with limited mobility who need assistance will receive priority support.
The move follows a similar policy change in North America. In January 2025, Starbucks announced that its company-operated stores in the US and Canada would prioritise paying customers, ending its open-door policy.
Investment In-Store Services
In its 2027 financial year, Starbucks China plans to invest more than 300 million yuan in improving the in-store experience.
The investment will support additional staff during peak hours, upgrades to digital systems and key equipment, and renovations at around 1,000 stores. The company also plans to improve its coffee offering and strengthen customer service.
The measures form part of its Thousand Stores, Thousand Looks strategy, which aims to adapt store formats and services to local needs.
The company also plans to increase staffing at busy times and upgrade facilities at selected locations. These changes are intended to improve service and the experience of customers who visit its stores.
Competition In China’s Coffee Market
China’s coffee market has expanded rapidly in recent years, with domestic chains competing through lower prices, convenient locations and digital ordering.
Luckin Coffee, Cotti Coffee and Lucky Cup have built networks focused on convenience and takeaway orders. Luckin alone operates more than 36,000 stores in China, including Hong Kong, according to figures reported by Chinese media. Starbucks China, by comparison, had 8,342 stores at the end of September.
The two business models place different emphasis on the role of physical stores. Domestic chains often focus on quick service and takeaway, while Starbucks has traditionally combined coffee sales with seating areas where customers can work, meet or relax.
The policy also sets clearer conditions for using store seating. For Starbucks, which has traditionally emphasised the in-store experience, managing seating space is part of balancing customer experience with store operating costs.
Starbucks China added 331 net stores during the year to the end of September. Its latest measures combine changes to store operations with further investment in its mainland China network.
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