Price hikes brewing for Starbucks drinkers
<p><span word="Starbucks">Starbucks</span> <span word="Corp">Corp</span> <span word="raised">raised</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="prices">prices</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="products">products</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="effective">effective</span> <span word="Tuesday">Tuesday</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="offset">offset</span> <span word="higher">higher</span> <span word="costs">costs</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="coffee">coffee</span> <span word="chain">chain</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="price">price</span> <span word="hike">hike</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="five">five</span> <span word="years">years</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="increases">increases</span>, <span word="ranging">ranging</span> <span word="from">from</span> 1 <span word="yuan">yuan</span> (16 <span word="US">US</span> <span word="cents">cents</span>) <span word="to">to</span> 3 <span word="yuan">yuan</span>, <span word="will">will</span> <span word="mainly">mainly</span> <span word="affect">affect</span> <span word="drinks">drinks</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="espresso">espresso</span>-<span word="based">based</span> <span word="beverages">beverages</span>, <span word="fresh">fresh</span>-<span word="brewed">brewed</span> <span word="coffee">coffee</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="hot">hot</span> <span word="chocolate">chocolate</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="company">company</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="official">official</span> <span word="micro">micro</span> <span word="blog">blog</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="sina">sina</span>.<span word="com">com</span>.</p><p><span word="Seattle">Seattle</span>-<span word="based">based</span> <span word="Starbucks">Starbucks</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="decision">decision</span> <span word="reflected">reflected</span> <span word="higher">higher</span> <span word="operating">operating</span> <span word="costs">costs</span>.</p><p>"<span word="The">The</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="Starbucks">Starbucks</span> <span word="price">price</span> <span word="adjustment">adjustment</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="in">in</span> 2007," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Li">Li</span> <span word="Jing">Jing</span>, <span word="public">public</span> <span word="relations">relations</span> <span word="manager">manager</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Starbucks">Starbucks</span> <span word="China">China</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="early">early</span> <span word="January">January</span>, <span word="Starbucks">Starbucks</span> <span word="started">started</span> <span word="charging">charging</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="certain">certain</span> <span word="beverages">beverages</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Northeast">Northeast</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Sunbelt">Sunbelt</span> <span word="regions">regions</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="US">US</span>, <span word="citing">citing</span> <span word="increased">increased</span> <span word="competition">competition</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="higher">higher</span> <span word="ingredient">ingredient</span> <span word="costs">costs</span>.</p><p><span word="Commodity">Commodity</span> <span word="prices">prices</span>, <span word="especially">especially</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="agricultural">agricultural</span> <span word="commodities">commodities</span>, <span word="surged">surged</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="multi">multi</span>-<span word="year">year</span> <span word="highs">highs</span> <span word="in">in</span> 2010. <span word="Raw">Raw</span> <span word="sugar">sugar</span> <span word="futures">futures</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="a">a</span> 30-<span word="year">year</span> <span word="high">high</span>, <span word="while">while</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="price">price</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="arabica">arabica</span> <span word="beans">beans</span> <span word="touched">touched</span> <span word="a">a</span> 14-<span word="year">year</span> <span word="high">high</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="York">York</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="May">May</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="heavy">heavy</span> <span word="rain">rain</span> <span word="caused">caused</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="La">La</span> <span word="Nina">Nina</span> <span word="weather">weather</span> <span word="system">system</span> <span word="cut">cut</span> <span word="output">output</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Colombia">Colombia</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="second">second</span>-<span word="largest">largest</span> <span word="producer">producer</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="variety">variety</span>, <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Bloomberg">Bloomberg</span>.</p><p>"<span word="The">The</span> <span word="price">price</span> <span word="increase">increase</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="acceptable">acceptable</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="prices">prices</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="everything">everything</span> <span word="here">here</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="surging">surging</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="customer">customer</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Starbucks">Starbucks</span> <span word="store">store</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span>. "<span word="But">But</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="hope">hope</span> <span word="drinking">drinking</span> <span word="coffee">coffee</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="luxury">luxury</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span>."</p><p><span word="UK">UK</span>-<span word="based">based</span> <span word="Costa">Costa</span> <span word="Coffee">Coffee</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="subsidiary">subsidiary</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Whitbread">Whitbread</span> <span word="PLC">PLC</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="major">major</span> <span word="rival">rival</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Starbucks">Starbucks</span>, <span word="has">has</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> 160 <span word="cafes">cafes</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="vowed">vowed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="expand">expand</span> <span word="quickly">quickly</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span>.</p>
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