Starbucks has come under fire from Chinese state media for charging more for its coffee in China than in other countries, making it the latest western company to face scrutiny over its Chinese pricing strategy, writes Simon Rabinovitch in Shanghai.
Starbucks, the biggest coffee chain by revenues, has expanded from fewer than 400 stores in China in 2010 to nearly 1,000 and has said the country is likely to overtake Canada as its second-biggest market next year.
But China Central Television, the official state broadcaster, has accused it of swindling consumers by charging about a third more than it does in the US. Its report, aired on Sunday, followed critiques of Starbucks in Chinese newspapers over the past week.