BEIJING, April 18, 2012 - As Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) continues to accelerate its plans toward making China its second home market, the company today announced a series of new initiatives aimed at further differentiating Starbucks as the employer of choice in this important market. This employee (partner) investment, together with Starbucks commitment to build thriving communities, will continue the rapid growth the company has seen in China over the previous decade.

Howard Schultz, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Starbucks, will join more than 1,200 Starbucks partners and their parents and family members at two separate Starbucks Partner Family Forums in Beijing and Shanghai. Themed “Growing Together”, the event is the first of its kind for the company and it recognizes the special role Chinese families traditionally play, while highlighting the commitment by Starbucks to grow and develop its partners.
 

BOAO, CHINA, April 1, 2012 – Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) today reiterated that China will remain the focal point of its international expansion efforts. Speaking at the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia Conference 2012, John Culver, president, Starbucks China and Asia Pacific confirmed that Starbucks believes its operations in China will be its second largest, outside of the United States, by 2014. In addition, Starbucks is confident that it will exceed 1,500 stores, across China, by 2015.

KUNMING, China, February 06, 2012 - As part of its ongoing efforts to help elevate the coffee industry in China’s Yunnan Province, Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) announced that it has signed an agreement to form a joint-venture company with Ai Ni Group, one of the province’s most established coffee operators and agricultural companies in Yunnan. The joint-venture company, which will be controlled by Starbucks, will purchase and export high-quality arabica Yunnan coffee beans, as well as operate dry mills in the province.
 

MUMBAI, India, January 30, 2012 - Tata Global Beverages Limited and Starbucks Coffee Company (Nasdaq: SBUX) today announced a joint venture between the iconic international coffee brand and the 2nd largest branded tea company in the world. The 50/50 joint venture, named TATA Starbucks Limited, will own and operate Starbucks cafés which will be branded as Starbucks Coffee “A Tata Alliance.”

The retail stores will be developed in cities across the country, beginning with stores in Delhi and Mumbai in calendar 2012.
 

SHANGHAI, December 08, 2011 - Riding on the momentum from the opening of its 500^th store in Mainland China in October, Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) entered another five new Chinese cities: Langfang (Hebei Province), Zhengzhou (provincial capital of Henan Province), Harbin (provincial capital of Heilongjiang Province), Xiangtan (Hunan Province) and Zhoushan (Zhejiang Province). In the past year, Starbucks has successfully entered 13 new cities in Mainland China and the stores in these communities have been popular and well-accepted by local customers.
 

SENDAI, Japan, October 12, 2011 - As part of its long-term dedication to the relief and recovery efforts following the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, Starbucks Coffee Japan today announced the establishment of the Starbucks CUP Fund (Caring Unites Partners). Affected partners (employees) in Japan will be eligible to receive cash grants based on their needs and situation. Established with the help of a personal donation of US$1 million by Howard and Sheri Schultz, the CUP Fund will continue on and provide support for partners in the future as well.

The CUP Fund, which currently operates in the U.S., Canada and China, was inspired and created by a group of partners in 1999. The program empowers partners to help other partners experiencing significant hardship due to catastrophic circumstances beyond their control, including natural disasters. All partners are eligible to apply for assistance. This program is funded solely by partner contributions and fundraising activities.
 

SINGAPORE; Sept. 6, 2011 – Today, Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) announced the expansion of Starbucks VIA® Ready Brew to Singapore, one of its first six additional Asia Pacific markets to launch this breakthrough innovation for the company. By the end of September, Starbucks stores in South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Australia will carry Starbucks VIA® Ready Brew, bringing its availability to all Starbucks locations in Asia. This expansion further builds upon the Company’s coffee leadership and expertise through a broadened coffee portfolio offering in the region.

“Starbucks VIA® Ready Brew is a revolutionary instant coffee that helps extend the relevance of the Starbucks brand beyond our stores, and expand our customer-base across Asia-Pacific,” said Jinlong Wang, president, Starbucks Asia Pacific. “We see immense opportunity for Starbucks VIA® in Asia, especially with the popularity and significant size of the region’s instant coffee category. We are confident that Starbucks VIA® will create new market demands for premium single-serve coffee to enjoy at home or on-the-go and become a new growth engine for Starbucks in the region.”
 

Seoul, April 28, 2011 – Chairman, president and ceo of Starbucks Coffee Company, Howard Schultz visited Seoul on April 27 for two days to celebrate the company’s 40th anniversary and the publishing of his second autobiography ONWARD. As a part of his world-wide book tour that started on March 29 in New York, he arrived in Seoul after visiting nine cities in North America and Shanghai, China.
 

SEATTLE & TOKYO, March 15, 2011 - In response to the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan, Starbucks Coffee Company (Nasdaq: SBUX) and Starbucks Coffee Japan today committed support and funding to the relief effort in partnership with the American Red Cross and Japan Red Cross. The Starbucks Foundation and Starbucks Coffee Japan will contribute ¥100 million (approx. USD$1.2 million) to aid immediate humanitarian and relief efforts.
 

Taiwan was previously labeled “Taiwan, Province of China” on the store locator system on Starbucks.com in deference to International naming conventions. Because Starbucks takes no position on political issues, the system has been adjusted and the store locator is now labeled “Taiwan.”