The Starbucks Entrance Into Vietnam Marketing Essay

The Starbucks Entrance Into Vietnam merchandising EssayStarbucks burnt umber Company Starbucks began in 1971 as a roaster and sell merchant of whole bean and g bust chocolate, teatime and spices. Back then, the bon ton was a single instal in Seattles historic Pike Place Market. From dear a narrow submitfront, Starbucks offered ripe of the worlds finest seraphic-roasted whole bean deep brown trees.(Starbucks drinking chocolate Company) Starbucks is named aft(prenominal) the archetypal mate in Herman Melvilles Moby Dick. The name evoked the romance of the supernumeraryvagantly seas and the seafaring tradition of the early cocoa tree bean traders. The logo is as well elysian by the sea, featuring a twintailed siren from Greek mythology.(Starbucks java Company) In 1981, Starbucks chairman, president and chief executive officer, Howard Schultz, was d rude(prenominal)n into Starbucks from his first transfuse of Sumatra, and joined Starbucks a year later.(Starbucks chocolate tree Company) In 1983, Howard travelled to Italy and became fascinated by Italian burnt umber bars and the romance of the burnt umber make out. He had a vision to toy the Italian drinking chocolate beanhouse tradition spikelet to the United States where javahouse is made a place for conversation and a sense of community and to be a third place surrounded by work and home. He left Starbucks for a short opus to go bad his own Il Giornale coffee treehouses and returned in August 1987 to purchase Starbucks with the help of go acrossical anesthetic investors.(Starbucks Coffee Company) Today, Starbucks connect with millions of customers e really day with exceptional products and approximately 18,000 retail stores in 60 countries.(Starbucks Coffee Company) Starbucks mission is to inspire and nurture the adult male spirit oneness person, one loving transfuse and one nearness at a time.(Starbucks Coffee Company) Starbucks suck in always believed in serving the outstrip coffee possible and it is their goal for all of their coffee to be fully grown under the eminentest standards of quality, using ethical sourcing practices.STARBUCKS Entrance into Vietnam(Starbucks opens first store in coffee-loving Vietnam) Starbucks opened its first coffee bar in Vietnam in Ho chi Minh City as pct of its strategy to expand across Asia, and plans to attach much condescends throughout the dry land.The grand opening of the HCM City store label Vietnam as Starbucks 12th market in the Asia Pacific, and adding up to its chain of some(a) 3,400 stores in the argona. tail end Culver, president of Starbucks Coffee china and Asia Pacific, tell during the typewriter ribbon cutting ceremony that Vietnam is one of the most dynamic and interesting market in Asia, and that they argon proud to open a Starbucks store in the country.Coffee Concepts (Vietnam) Ltd., a Hong Kong Maxims Group subsidiary, volition operate Starbucks Ho khi Minh City store i n Vietnam, and its first store pull up stakes be in the citys argumentation district.Starbucks will be gossipking to deal with local anaesthetic rivals in a country sack outn for its strong cafe nuance. Vietnam is the worlds second-largest coffee producer and it has dozens of local chains as well as smallish coffee fails on nearly every street deferral which evidence a study challenge for Starbucks to break into the crowded market. harmonise to research, although many lot queued up in southern Ho Chi Minh City for the opening, further the US giants coffee may not be to everybodys taste.Some speculated about(predicate) how the Starbucks will compete with Trung Nguyen Coffee and Highlands Coffee, a homegrown brand that credits Starbucks as an inspiration.virtuoso Vietnamese, Nguyen Tien Tam, 35 had been quoted as preferring Vietnamese coffee, which is stronger than Starbucks and that as a Vietnamese, he only have intercourse local coffee.Comp bed with some opposi tewise Asian markets which Starbucks has lately go ined, the Seattle-based company faces a unique scenario in Vietnam, where French-inspired coffee culture rules supreme, two homegrown chains confuse established presences and family-run pavement cafes atomic number 18 as many as noodle shops.In HANOI, Vietnam, Nghiem Ngoc Thuy has been providing coffees to thirsty(p) Vietnamese for 20 years in her colonial-style villa with peeling shutters, and she and her customers bent too demented that Starbucks will alter their time-tested coffee traditions.As quoted by Thuy, her family-run cafe in capital of Vietnam offers prices that are affordable for average Vietnamese. Thuy further added that dearly-won coffee is just for the children of goernment officials, or heap who have a good deal of money.A unbendable customer, an electronics salesman Do Thanh Tung, give tongue to he is raring(predicate) to see if Starbucks coffee really is different from the Vietnamese blends he has b een drinking since he was 10 years old. Tung, right away 30, give tongue to Vietnamese young multitude will wel get on with Starbucks, once they get used to it.But he added that he doesnt expect to become a continual Starbucks patron because he drinks cardinal or six cups of coffee a day, thus regular visits to Starbucks would be too expensive for him.Dang Le Nguyen Vu, whose Trung Nguyen Group owns 55 cafes in Vietnam, said he welcomes Starbucks and doesnt view the Ameri apprize newcomer as a threat.Vu plane visualized Starbucks opening up to a hundred cafes in Vietnam in the next 10 years, but it remains questionable whether populate in a country with such a low gross domestic product per capita, and a different taste in coffee, would really accept Starbucks. contrasted China, where tea is the caffeinated drink of choice, Vietnam inherited a coffee culture from French colonizers in the 19th century. Vietnam is withal the worlds second-largest exporter of coffee behind Bra zil.Starbucks already operates more than 3,300 stores across 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and its entry into Vietnam marks the latest round in a campaign to attract Asias emerging middle classes condescension a stagnating U.S. economy.Jinlong Wang, president of Starbucks Asia-Pacific, said the company plans to expand across Vietnam in a way that celebrates the countrys coffee culture and heritage.He had commented on an netmail to The Associated Press that Starbucks is imageing prior to growing with Vietnams already vibrant coffee industry and qualification a positive impact in the communities where they operate.Vietnam has a population of about 90 million and three out of five Vietnamese are under the age of 35.Architect Tran Cao Tho,a 32-year-old architect and his friends sipped their coffees from low, woody stools on the sidewalk as motorbikes whizzed by and street singers dropped in. Starbucks will stress to profit from surging consumer demand.Tho and his frien ds are authority of the sizeable under-35 genesis that Starbucks, the Seattle-based company, will seek to convince and switch from stronger and cheaper coffee at their contiguity caf to Starbucks coffee.Tho whose morning routine complicates a cup of drip coffee at Hanois Cafe Hanh said that he give care his coffee black, unforgiving and strong and that he would go to Starbucks once in a while for the ambience, but not for the coffee as the flavor is too light. agree to Anthony Emms, managing partner at Stanton Emms Strategy Consultants in Singapore, which advises foreign food and drinking companies on Asian markets, he commented that Vietnams economy has slowed novelly in part because of a problematic banking sector, but Starbucks upmarket brand will allurement to the growing Vietnamese middle class, and that he doesnt believe there is a massive barrier to Starbucks in Vietnam and further added that Starbucks is not really a coffee but is a food-service concept.He further a dded that more than 60 per cent of Vietnams population was born after the Vietnam War ended in 1975, and there is a strong demand among young person in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City for branded clothing and accessories, regardless that the labels a great deal are fakes, and average annual income is only about $1,500.Furthermore, other international food chains have opened stores in Vietnam in recent years, including the Australian coffee chain Gloria Jeans Coffees International, the California-based Coffee Bean teatime snap, and the American fast-food chains KFC and Burger King. And Nestle instant coffee which is engineered to suit the Vietnamese pallet is interchange widely in Vietnamese supermarkets.However, Emms said that Starbucks would risk disaffect some of its potential clients if it didnt hold Vietnamese drip coffee on its menus here. This would be to cater to and target at not only the young generation but likewise the older and senior generation.What differentiates Starbucks from other coffee chains?(Starbucks Coffee Company) Starbucks have always believed in the importance of structure a great, enduring company that strikes a proportionality between profitability and a social conscience.Starbucks take a holistic approach to ethically sourcing the highest quality coffee. This includes responsible get practices, juting farmer loans and forest saving programs. They believe that by buying coffee this way, it helps foster a let out future for farmers and a more stable climate for the planet. It in any case helps execute a longterm supply of the highquality beans which they have been carefully blending, roasting and packing odoriferous for more than 40 years.They distribute their customers commitment to the environment. And they believe in the importance of caring for the planet and promote others to do the same. It is their goal that 100% of their cups will be reusable or recyclable by 2015. They will also work to significantly overth row their environmental footprint through energy and water conservation, recycling and greenness construction.They also believe in fostering thriving communities, from the neighborhoods where their stores are locate to the ones where their coffee is grown. To bring throng together, inspire change and make a inequality in peoples lives are all part of being a good neighbor. They also hope to contribute one million unpaid worker hours each year to their communities by 2015.Since the beginning, Starbucks has been a different kind of company. One which not only celebrate coffee and the rich tradition, but would also bring a feeling of connection. It is one that is dedicated to inspiring and nurturing the gracious spirit and committed to serving the finest coffee, creating an exceptional customer experience, and being a great place to work. Starbucks is grateful to their partners (employees) for making Starbucks the company that they are. And they are reward to be acknowledged for t heir efforts which earned Starbucks its awards and recognition.Today, with more than 17,400 stores in 60 countries, Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. And with every cup, they strive to bring both their heritage and an exceptional experience to life.4Ps (old) 1P (new) OF STARBUCKS MARKETING STRATEGY IN VIETNAM(Starbucks opens first store in coffee-loving Vietnam)PriceStarbucks will price its products in a premium identify that is competitive. fit in to Sara Senatore, a New York-based psychoanalyst at Sanford C. Bernstein Co, prices may whitewash be less than the U.S. because of cut back income and operate costs in Vietnam.PlaceTheir stores are a neighborhood forum place for meeting friends and family. Their customers delight quality service, an inviting atmosphere and an exceptional cup of coffee.Starbucks is also monitoring Vietnams rising coffee demand. Its first store in the country is located in one of Ho Chi Minh Citys busi est roofys and is near to a new Burger King restaurant and Ben Thanh Market which is the center of the citys tourist trade.People (one of the new 4Ps)Their coffee buyers travel personally to coffee farms in Latin America, Africa and Asia to select the highest quality beans. And their master roasters bring out the balance and rich flavor of the beans through the signature Starbucks Roast.Starbucks offers the finest coffees in the world, grown, prepared and served by the finest people. Their employees, whom they call partners, are at the heart of the Starbucks Experience. They believe in treating their partners with esteem and dignity. They are proud to offer two landmark programs for their partners comprehensive wellness coverage for eligible full and parttime partners and equity in the company through Bean Stock.ProductStarbucks offers an extensive wide run away of exceptional products that customers sleep with in their stores, at home, and on the go. There are more than 30 ble nds and singleorigin premium coffees and Handcrafted Beverages which include freshbrewed coffee, hot and iced espresso beverages, Frappuccino coffee and noncoffee blended beverages, smoothies and Tazo teas. Their merchandises include coffee and teabrewing equipment, mugs and accessories, packaged goods, melody, books and gifts. They also offer fresh food like baked pastries, sandwiches, salads, oatmeal, yogurt parfaits and fruit cups. Other Consumer Products Coffee and Tea include Whole bean and ground coffee (Starbucks and Seattles outstrip Coffee brands), Starbucks VIA attain Brew, Starbucks KCup portion packs, Tazo tea filterbags and tea latte concentrates. Starbucks also offers ReadytoDrink (RTD) beverages which include Starbucks bottled Frappuccino coffee drinks, Starbucks Discoveries chilled cup coffees, Starbucks Doubleshot espresso drinks, Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee drinksSeattles Best Coffee Iced Lattes, Starbucks Refreshers beverages, Tazo bottled iced and juice d teas. Starbucks Ice Cream is also available in Superpremium coffee and coffeefree flavors. Brand Portfolio Starbucks Coffee, Seattles Best Coffee, Tazo Tea, ontogeny youthful, La Boulange and Torrefazione Italia Coffee.PromotionStarbucks card members enjoy Starbucks Rewards which include encomiastic handcrafted beverage of customers choice, brewed coffee and/or whole bean coffee. Members also enjoy complimentary slice of cake on birthday month. There is also a wide range of merchandize and product that is available which include bags, cups and mugs. rig out Analysis on starbucks entrance into vietnamStrengths(Starbucks Coffee Company) Starbucks purchases and roasts high-quality whole bean coffees.Their coffeehouses have become a inspiration for coffee whoprs everywhere. They insist on Starbucks because they know they can count on its genuine service, an inviting atmosphere and a superior cup of expertly roasted and richly brewed coffee every time.Starbucks is more than Coffee , they are passionate sources of coffee and everything else that goes with a rewarding coffeehouse experience. They also offer a selection of premium Tazo teas, fine pastries and other palatable treats to please the taste buds. And the music you hear in store is elect for its artistry and appeal.People come to Starbucks to work, chat or meet up. Theyre a neighborhood gathering place which has become a part of their unremarkable routine.It has a global recognition and good reputation for fine products and services. Starbucks has nearly 18,000 retail stores in 60 countries.The company values its workforce and treats its employers as partners.The company has strong ethical values and ethical mission statement.Starbucks has some equally impressive statistics with 41 years of experience and 3,300 stores in 12 countries in the China and Asia-Pacific region. They also have an ongoing relationship with Vietnamese coffee growers. According to the company, Starbucks already purchases a nota ble amount of high-quality arabica coffee from Vietnam and are working to buy more.Weakness(Starbucks enters secure Vietnam coffee market SeacoastOn root.com) Starbucks will have to battle entrenched tastes, local brands, international rivals and the thousands of neighborhood coffee shops that dot Vietnams streets. topical anesthetic chains such as Trung Nguyen Coffee and Highlands Coffee have more experience catering to the Vietnamese love of strong coffee.Starbucks coffee flavor is too light.Starbucks coffee may be too expensive for local consumers who need their coffees regularly each day.Opportunities(Starbucks enters entrenched Vietnam coffee market SeacoastOnline.com) There is a strong demand among youth in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City for branded goods and services.Starbucks looks forward at growing with Vietnams already vibrant coffee industry and making a positive impact in the communities where they operate.Has potential to consider co-branding with other food and drink m anufacturers and also brand franchising to manufacturers of other goods and services.(Starbucks opens chain of raw vegan juice bars) (Starbucks opens new blend of juice bars) (Starbucks to open first ontogeny Fresh juice store USATODAY.com) New markets for coffee and healthy beverages are beginning to emerge and that can be retailed in their cafes. (NaturalNews) Starbucks, the coffee shop that is renowned for its seemingly limitless coffee varieties, is opening a new chain of juice bars in response to the growing health trend towards unprocessed and whole foods. In late 2011, the coffee giant also brought out Evolution Fresh, a juice company. Health foods now represent a $50 billion industry, and Starbucks has been very open about their intention to expand into the market and establish themselves as a major player.The juice bars will offer fruit and vegetable options which can be blended according to customer preference, or in sampled and align menu options to produce natural fr uit juices that are high in dietary fiber, vitamins A, C, and E, and antioxidants.Thicker smoothies can be supplemented with protein ingredients such as juiced wheat rat and nut butter, to help provide customers with a more nutritionally fit meal. Their healthy foods and snack options which include a wide menu to support vegetarian and vegan lifestyles will also be available.Starbucks think the market demand is high enough to justify its own set of chains, not just an extra few fruit options on the menu at their coffee shops. eyepatch the market is smaller than that for coffee, Starbucks research on consumer spending trends show the change magnitude concern with health. Despite this being a more risky investment funds than those to which Starbucks shareholders are familiar with, the dollar market shares of the company are steadily rising, showing wide support for this move.Over the past few years, the fresh fruit smoothie industry has bloomed into a billion dollar industry. gu est demand can be seen in the number of people purchasing bottled mixed vegetable and fruit drinks, seeking dietary reparation or preventative health measures against a wide array of illnesses. Growing song of people are turning to juicing for detox solutions. According to research, there is for certain more than enough demand to support this major industry.One of the customers, angelica R. from Salt Lake City said she cant wait till Evolution is worldwide so she could go back again.Starbucks purchase of Evolution Fresh for US$30 million last year was in line with its strategy to sell a broader range of products through its own cafes, grocery store stores and other retail outlets.Threats(Starbucks enters entrenched Vietnam coffee market SeacoastOnline.com) Vietnam is the worlds second-largest coffee producer and it has dozens of local chains as well as small coffee shops on nearly every street corner which present a major challenge for Starbucks.Starbucks will have to compete wi th Trung Nguyen Coffee and Highlands Coffee, a homegrown brand as well as other coffee chains that have opened stores in Vietnam in recent years and who have more experience catering to the Vietnamese love of strong coffee, including the Australian coffee chain Gloria Jeans Coffees International, the California-based Coffee Bean Tea Leaf, and Nestle instant coffee which is engineered to suit the Vietnamese palette is sold widely in Vietnamese supermarkets.Another threat is Trung Nguyens plan to enter the U.S. market which follows the companys rise to become the biggest roaster and packaged-coffee retailer in a country with a brewing tradition dating from 19th century plantations by French colonists. The chains 60 shops across the country serve Vietnamese-style individually brewed cups, along with varieties including Italian espresso and Turkish-style coffees, a mix which Vu expects to sell well in the United States as well.Vus focus on specialty beans and roasting includes a varie ty called Legendee created to mimic the flavor of coffee brewed from beans that are recovered from the faecal matter of civets, a weasel-like rodent. The civet coffee is considered a delicacy.According to the companys website, the coffee roaster detect enzymes that mimic civet digestion and developed a process to give the coffee the same magical flavor.Vu said he intends to build a coffee empire and a global brand within the next 10 years, rivaling Starbucks. He said that the company is also considering an initial public go and the timing has yet to be decided.Vu won a medical full point before starting his roasting business. He developed Trung Nguyen from a shop he founded as a student into a coffee retailer with more than 3,000 employees. He plans to increase the number of cafes in Vietnam to 200 in the next two years.Porters 5 forces in reaction to the SWOT summaryStarbucks stability and expansion in Vietnam will be determined by external sources which include potential entr ants which may also want to threaten into the Vietnamese market, also by internal and external threats which include preexistent local brands and industrial rivalries and by threats of substitutes whereby another type of beverage or service may replace Starbucks coffee and beverages. Other internal threats would include the effect of suppliers power and the buying power of the customer.(porters 5 forces Google Search)Sustainable agonistic Advantage Analysis(sustainable competitive usefulness analysis blekko) Competitive good is defined as the strategic advantage one business entity has over its rival entities within its competitive industry. Achieving competitive advantage strengthens and parts a business better within the business environment.In order to uphold a sustainable competitive advantage, Starbucks must achieve its value activities in a way difficult for competitors to replicate or imitate. A competitive advantage is maintained if the cumulative cost of performing the value activities is lower than competitors. A level of value must support the competitive advantage to the customer that is at to the lowest degree compatible to the competitors. Otherwise, a lower price will have to be charged and the net effect will be zero. A companys relative competitive advantage will depend on the type of structure the value chain of the company has versus the competitors and also the position of the cost drivers in each activity.OUTLOOK(Starbucks opens first store in coffee-loving Vietnam) (Starbucks has seen mixed reactions in AsiaLIFE HCMC) John Culver, president for China and Asia Pacific said that Starbucks plans on showing up in a way that doesnt shortly exist in the market in terms of the premium products and the experience they offer. The chain will offer flavors that will be tailor-made to Vietnamese tastes along with its trademark drinks, while expanding aggressively into Hanoi and other cities. Starbucks yet dec line to elaborate on the number of outlets it plans to open in Vietnam.Ralf Matthaes, a regional managing director at market research and consultancy firm TNS said that Local consumers will be drawn by the Starbucks name and young people desire that new-made, hip culture. He further added that Starbucks is famous and Vietnamese people want to be seen at popular places, which is very typical for Vietnamese.Vietnams coffee culture stretches back to the late-19th century after France colonized the country. According to the command Statistics Office, it exported 1.73 million metric tons of coffee in 2012, and is the worlds biggest exporter of bitter- tasting robusta. According to the International Coffee Organization, consumption of the drink in Vietnam jumped 65 per centum between 2008 and 2011.Tran Doan Kim, a business management professor at subject University said the coffee chain will attract young Vietnamese who like to be fashionable, live a Western lifestyle and enjoy brand names.According to the World Ban k website, Vietnam had reached what the World Bank calls lower middle-income status in 2009, with per-capita income having increased more than 10-fold since the ruling Communist political party started market-oriented reforms in 1986. Gross national income per capita was $1,270 in 2011.Dang Le Nguyen Vu, founder and proprietor of Trung Nguyen, which operates about 60 cafes in the country, isnt threatened by his newest competitor. He said Starbucks is not worth worrying about as it doesnt sell coffee. The people who go into a Starbucks may want to show that they are modern and stylish and a coffee lover will go to them instead.Vu said Trung Nguyen, which exports coffee to about 60 countries, will expand to at least 200 retail outlets in two years. Highlands Coffee stores, with overhead music and Wi-Fi Internet, are located in prime retail and landmark locations in Vietnams largest cities.Culver said Starbucks will price its products in a premium position that is competitive. Accordi ng to Sara Senatore, a New York-based analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein Co, prices may still be less than the U.S. because of lower income and operating costs.Senatore further added that Starbucks doesnt compete promptly with the local coffee shops, just the same way that McDonalds or KFC doesnt compete directly with the local fast-food vendors. And there is a premium that people are willing to pay for a clean environment, for consistent products and good service.Thuan Pham, a commercial airline pilot and a Vietnamese-American who now lives in Ho Chi Minh City who goes patronizes Coffee Bean Tea Leaf in Hanoi expects to be a frequent Starbucks visitor and said he will be surprised if Starbucks doesnt succeed in Vietnam.Pham added that the cool factor is crucial and its important for young people to be seen at these places and is not about the coffee.A first time customer, Nguyen Ngoc tramway, 17 explained to Tuoitrenews that as this is the first time she tasted a US coffee brand name, she was very eager to buy her first Starbucks cup and was willing to queue for more than 30 minutes to be able to sip her Vietnamese Starbucks coffee. An hour after the official opening hour, the long line in front of the store still remained, as there were more people like Tram coming to become one of the first to taste Starbucks in Vietnam. or so of other customers are young, and those who have already experienced Starbucks in the US and other Asian countries. They said they came to see if there is any difference between Starbucks Vietnam and in other nations.One local coffee store owner, Nguyen Phi whose shop is located in the chaotic traffic in the roundabout just west of the New World Hotel and of Phis newest neighbour and competitor, Starbucks commented that they dont operate on the same battlefield and belong to two different businesses.Le Suan, one of Phis customers, agrees that while he now lives in the United States, he grew up in Vietnam and defaults to local coffee joints when he returns to his home country for a visit. He further explained that people in Vietnam drink their coffee very strong and Starbucks coffee is very light.Coffee is not just coffee but more a way of life in Vietnam. duration its consumed as a morning pick-me-up in parts of the horse opera world, its a social activity that takes place throughout the day here. locus options, which range from mobile coffee carts to locally-owned cafes to big-but-still-local names like Trung Nguyen, are elegant much unlimited. The rest of the world has also caught on to the great relish of the Vietnamese coffee bean and the country is now one of the top coffee exporters in the world.John Culver, president of Starbucks China and Asia Pacific, tells AsiaLIFE that Starbucks is deeply reverential of Vietnams long and distinctive local coffee culture and they know coffee is a national pride for many Vietnamese and as such, Starbucks look forward to contributing and growing Vietnams already v ibrant coffee industry.The company also pledges to promote responsible business practices and production standards with coffee demesne communities. While this is reassuring to some, others remain concerned, especially those whove come from areas where large coffee chains have pushed smaller operations out of business. One commenter even quipped that Starbucks is the new war face of America.So who is Starbucks targeted customer in Vietnam? Who are the patrons who would be willing to wait in long lines for that tall, grande or venti cup at a price substantially more than what they can get on the street? It would be tourists and guests of the New World Hotel and young Vietnamese, who are seeking to try this internationally-known brand and perhaps to impress others with it, who would also in all probability to be there as well.A customer, Nguyen Phuong said many in Vietnam know of Starbucks and want to be fashionable. She and her friend Nguyen Nga are already part of the Starbucks in- crowd thanks to jobs that often take them outside the country. On those trips, they are regular Starbucks customers who go not for a standard cup of coffee but for the specialty drinks.Phuong added that Starbucks has so many things like Cappuccino that other local coffee stores dont have. And both Phuong and Nga love the taste of Starbucks and accept the price.The key to all coffee vendors surviving in Ho Chi Minh City may come down to menu offerings. Joints like Starbucks and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf succeed at higher-priced specialty drinks, while coffee carts focus on their classic offerings at extremely low prices. The face of the countrys coffee culture is changing but back at the busy roundabout, where Cach Mang Thang Tam, Nguyen Trai, and Ly Tu Trong streets meet, one of the local coffee store, Nguyen Phi has no intention of changing his business plan. Hell bring through doing what he does best and his customers will keep coming as well.John Culver, president of the companys China and Asia Pacific region, said in a anticipate interview that Starbucks will grow aggressively in Vietnam and there will be hundreds of stores for Starbucks though he didnt give a time mannequin for the expansion.Dang Le Nguyen Vu, founder and owner of Trung Nguyen said hes ready to compete against Starbucks with a plan hes developed over the past three years.His newest cafes in Vietnam are in fact reminiscent of Starbucks, with oversized armchairs, contemporary music and a menu offering coffee drinks, smoothies and snacks. Some stores even feature shelves lined with books that customers are encouraged to browse including books that inspire and encourage young Vietnamese patrons.Vu further added that Starbucks no longer has the personality it had when it first started and that its regime will soon end and will soon be replaced.Well, it has happened Starbucks has finally