INTERNATIONAL coffee giant Starbucks says Western Australia is part of its growth strategy, however, plans to open its first WA store are still in the “long-term” basket.
Starbucks marketing manager Ian McKenzie said speculation that Starbucks had acquired leases in Perth and its arrival was imminent was unfounded.
“No, there is nothing happening in WA. We would certainly like to be in WA in the long-term, however, our current store developments are in progress on the eastern seaboard,” he said.
Starbucks has announced aggressive expansion plans that include increasing store numbers across the globe from nearly 6,000 to 10,000 by the end of 2005. Part of that will include Australian stores, however, Mr McKenzie said those were scheduled to open in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and the Australian Capital Territory.
“We have opened 37 stores and we celebrate our third anniversary on July 17 so that gives you an indication of the growth we have experienced,” he said.
Rumours remain rife that the company may have already purchased leases with the view to opening the sites in the longer-term. One source said this was the case for one of the Sydney stores where Starbucks had paid a premium price for a particular site and sat on it for a year before developing it.
