BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese coffee startup Luckin is aiming to open 2,500 new stores this year and overtake Starbucks Corp SBUX.O as the largest coffee chain by number of outlets in the world's second-biggest economy, it said on Thursday. The firm, which only officially launched its business at the start of last year, has expanded at breakneck speed, propelled by a focus on technology, delivery, and heavy discounting even at the cost of mounting losses. “What we want at the moment is scale and speed,” Luckin’s chief marketing officer, Yang Fei, told reporters on Thursday at a presentation in Beijing. “There’s no point talking about profit,” he said, adding that subsidies to lure in more users would be an important part of the firm’s strategy for the next few years. Luckin said it was targeting a total of more than 4,500 stores by the end of 2019, which would take it past Seattle-based Starbucks that has long dominated China’s coffee scene and has over 3,600 stores in the country. Luckin’s caffeine-fuelled expansion is in stark contrast to Starbucks, which opened its first China store in 1999 and has spent two decades reaching its current store count. The U.S. chain, which spearheaded the growth of a coffee culture in China, started to see competition rise from smaller peers over the last 18 months, though Luckin has stood out as the most aggressive competitor. But Luckin’s rise has not come cheaply. The firm recorded a loss of 800 million yuan ($116.34 million) last year, which its chief marketing officer said was in line with expectations as it pushed to expand. Luckin, backed by Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC Pte Ltd and China International Capital Corp Ltd 3908.HK, opened more than 2,000 locations in the last year, gaining a valuation of $2.2 billion after raising $200 million in a funding round last month. The firm’s chief executive, Qian Zhiya, told Reuters last year that Luckin aimed to outnumber Starbucks in China. Reuters previously reported that Luckin was also in early-stage talks with investment banks about an overseas initial public offering. The firm, however, declined to answer questions about IPO plans on Thursday.

An Indiana judge has taken an unusual step and temporarily barred Starbucks from closing 77 failing Teavana stores in Simon Property Group malls because the real estate giant was less able to handle the financial pain. Starbucks said in July it planned to shutter its 379-store Teavana operation — but Simon rushed to court to block 77 stores in its malls from going dark — claiming such a move by a high-profile tenant could spark other stores in its malls to close. Starbucks, after trying to turn around its stumbling tea chain, said last August it was pulling the plug on Teavana. It wanted to close all the stores by the end of the year. But Indianapolis-based Simon, in an environment where hundreds of stores across the country are closing, rushed to a local court to ask Judge Heather Welch to stop the store closing. Welch, in a 55-page order, found that the very profitable Starbucks could absorb the financial hit — estimated by Starbucks to be $15 million over five months — better than Simon could. The mall operator did not provide an estimate of how much the closings of the Teavana stores would hurt them. The case is being closely watched by retailers and landlords alike amid a retail meltdown that has resulted in a record number of bankruptcies this year. The retail failures have left landlords scrambling to find new tenants and retailers in the difficult position of breaking their leases. Still, it is rare that a judge orders a retailer to keep stores open, retail experts said. “I’m somewhat shocked by the ruling,” said real estate lawyer Joshua Stein. Welch “catalogues every possible detriment to Simon as a result of having vacant space,” Stein said, adding, “That’s part of a job description of owning real estate. You deal with it and don’t get injunctions to have your tenant continuing to operate.” Other industry experts, who did not want to be identified, said the ruling will send a chill down the spines of distressed retailers. “If you are a tenant that has to close a bunch of stores that are based in malls,” said one source, “you are pretty scared after this ruling.” Welch admitted that “no court has ever entered preliminary or permanent injunctive relief to specifically enforce a continuous operations covenant against a non-anchor tenant” — but she did so anyway. “We are disappointed in the judge’s ruling and will continue to focus on finding a resolution,” Starbucks, which has a market cap of $81 billion, said in a statement, noting that it is not clear whether it will appeal — or even if it is permitted to do so. Simon’s vacancy rate as of Sept. 30 was 4.7 percent — slightly below the 4.8 percent national vacancy rate for all malls, according to JLL data. Simon argues that if Starbucks is allowed to “prematurely” break its lease, it could be forced to fill the vacancies with “less creditworthy tenant(s)” or less desirable tenants “who will only agree to less desirable lease terms, and/or a shorter-term lease,” according to the court filings. Industry sources suggested that other mall operators may now challenge Starbucks’ plans to close Teavana stores in their shopping centers. Shares of Simon Property Group, a $52 billion company, gained 60 cents on Friday, to $162.35.

Starbucks has tapped Rosalind Brewer, the former president and CEO of Sam's Club, to take on the role of chief operating officer and group president, effective Oct. 2. Brewer will lead the company's operating businesses across the U.S., Canada, and Latin America, as well as the global functions of supply chain, product innovation, and store development organizations. "Starbucks is a culture-first company focused on performance and Roz is a world class operator and executive who embodies the values of Starbucks," Kevin Johnson, Starbucks' president and CEO, said in a statement Wednesday. Johnson said that Brewer had been a "trusted strategic counselor" to him since her appointment to the company's board of directors in January. Brewer, who has more than 30 years of management experience and 10 years of experience leading multinational retailers, will continue to serve on the board of directors, the company said. "Ms. Brewer has a wealth of experience in retailing, consumers and [consumer packaged goods] markets," Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, told CNBC via email. "She is also used to running large, complex organization with a global focus." Starbucks has hit some snags in recent quarters in its retail sales, blaming slowing mall traffic for weak sales at its Teavana stores, in particular. The company plans to shutter all 379 of these locations by spring 2018 to deal with the prolonged underperformace. "[Brewer] was instrumental in making changes at Sam's Club to bring the retailer more in line with trends around health and wellness," Saunders said. "She also did a lot in terms of e-commerce and multichannel, and this experience will be valuable for Starbucks."

When Starbucks opened its first location in the Middle East and North Africa region in 1999, the company chose to make its debut in Kuwait City with a café on the Souq Sharq waterfront in the heart of the city’s retail and entertainment district. Eighteen years later, Kuwait City is the site of the company’s first Starbucks Reserve™ coffee bar experience, located in the city’s soaring Crystal Tower. The skyscraper itself provided inspiration for the warm wooden interiors, with triangle shaped panels reminiscent of natural crystal stones. The store combines coffee theater with local design elements, and the craft of coffee takes center stage. Existing signature features were integrated into the design, including a coffered concrete ceiling and exposed brick surfaces. “We are extremely proud to introduce this special store that showcases our passion for coffee in this region,” said Graeme Gardiner, senior operations manager for Starbucks Kuwait. “With an immersive and sensory coffee bar, the new store defines a new opportunity bringing customers closer to their coffee – and Starbucks – more than ever before.” Featuring the company’s rare, small-lot Starbucks Reserve™ coffees roasted at its Starbucks Reserve™ Roastery in Seattle, the coffee bar gives baristas (who are Coffee Masters) a platform to engage in a dialogue with customers over a variety of brewing methods. These methods include manual Black Eagle espresso, as well as pour-over, Clover ™ Brewer, Siphon and Chemex. In addition to the classic Starbucks menu, the location will also feature specialty beverages created at the Roastery that showcase Starbucks Reserve™ coffees. Stores with Starbucks Reserve® coffee bars have opened in a number of U.S. cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and Boston. The experience is expected to make up 20 percent of the global store portfolio by 2021.

New Starbucks store opens offering rare and exquisite small- lot coffees .The world’s leading coffee company opens Qatar’s first Starbucks store with Reserve coffee, served on a Clover® Brewing System, at the Doha Festival City - Qatar’s largest entertainment, fashion and dining destination.The opening of the first Starbucks store with Reserve coffee offers connoisseurs an immersive coffee experience and an opportunity to enjoy the range of specially selected, rare and exquisite coffees. Each coffee is one-of-a-kind, sourced from small coffee growing regions in Latin America, Africa and Asia/ Pacific islands.  The store is also home to the unique Clover® brewing system which will be available to customers for the first time in Qatar. The Clover® brewing system uses innovative Vacuum-Press™ technology to create every cup of coffee right in front of the customer. It controls brewing time and temperature digitally, as even small changes can dramatically affect the outcome of the coffee’s taste.In addition, the store will also offer other premium brewing methods including Siphon, Chemex, Pour-Over and Coffee Press. Each brewing method brings out different notes and flavours of the coffee, offering customers a unique taste profiles when offered through the different brewing techniques.“People who really love coffee are always searching for new sensory experiences from their favourite beverage,” said John Smith, Senior Operation Manger – Starbucks Qatar, Oman and Bahrain. “With the opening of Qatar’s first Starbucks store with Reserve, we aim to give consumers everything their passion for coffee demands: exquisite rare beans from exotic locations selected by our master brewers for the ultimate coffee taste experience.  This opening is a very proud moment for us, and we invite everyone who loves coffee to come and taste this wonderful range.”The new store offers a stunning environment with traditional references through calligraphy and hand painted artwork applied onto herringbone timer wall, weathered copper detailed and stone cladding. Arabic mesh details are inherent in the design and references of handpicked coffees from farmlands around the world give dimension and warmth, creating a comfortable ambiance for customers.Three Reserve coffees will be on offered at the store opening – Nicaragua Maracatura, Nicaragua La Roca, and Costa Rica Vista Del Mar Yellow Honey. The store will also offer Starbucks core range of food and beverages that are known and loved by customers in Qatar.

Norway, Oslo: February 7, 2012 – Starbucks Coffee Company (Nasdaq: SBUX) and its licensed partner, SSP, the leading dedicated operator of food and beverage brands in travel locations worldwide, will open Norway’s first Starbucks coffeehouse at Oslo Airport, arriving this Thursday, February 9. “SSP Norway has looked forward to this day for a long time,” says Morten Solberg Nilsen, Managing Director SSP Norway. “With a spacious and comfortable seating area, the new Starbucks coffeehouse will undoubtedly be a popular place for travelers to relax while enjoying their favorite coffee. SSP and Starbucks have a shared passion for making customers feel at home. We are thrilled that with Starbucks we can bring another world-class brand to the airport which further strengthens our position as the food travel experts, offering an unrivaled portfolio of leading brands.” The long awaited store will be located in arrivals at Oslo Airport and will be accessible to everyone going to the airport. It will offer customers the legendary Starbucks Experience, high-quality arabica coffee, and innovative products in an inviting and relaxed atmosphere. “Starbucks is thrilled to open our first store in Norway, a country with a long and rich coffeehouse culture and a great appreciation for coffee,” said Arjan Oudejans, Director of Licensed Stores, Starbucks Europe, Middle East and Africa. “We look forward to extending our long term partnership with our trusted partner SSP into Norway. This strategic relationship aligns with Starbucks strategy to open stores where customers expect them to be and meets the growing demand for high quality coffee and service in the travel channel,” continued Oudejans. Starbucks and SSP announced their strategic partnership in June, 2008 and have since opened stores in the UK, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland and Sweden. “Oslo Airport is Norways’s principal international airport, and in the food & beverage facilities we strive to combine the best from Norway with the best from the rest of the world. As a leading international brand, Starbucks fits seamlessly into that strategy. The fact that Starbucks opens its first store in Norway at Oslo Airport gives credit to the special and innovative character of this marketplace, but most importantly we are sure that our passengers will greatly enjoy the fact that they can now have a Starbucks coffee at Oslo Airport,” says Nic Nilsen, Managing Director of Oslo Airport. Starbucks® Ready-to-Drink Coffee The opening of the first Starbucks retail location in Norway comes one year after the launch of its line of premium ready-to-drink beverages, Starbucks Discoveries® Iced Lattes, and Starbucks® bottled Frappuccino® which are available on grocery shelves and in convenience stores in Norway. ‘We are astounded with the first year performance of the Starbucks® Ready-to-Drink Coffee beverages in Norway, and grateful for the warm embrace from our Norwegian customers. It gives us great confidence in the success of Starbucks retail stores in Norway,” said Oudejans. Starbucks® Iced Latte coffee drinks were launched in February last year and per capita sales performance is the highest in Europe at almost 4 million units sold. Short facts on Starbucks at Oslo airport Address: Oslo Airport, 2060 Gardermoen Seats: 75 Interior and 28 Outside (weather permitting) Size of store: 210 m2 + 100 m2 outside in summer