Shanghai With My Tween (Teenage Boy) - Part 3 - Visiting Starbucks and Apple

Previous Posts:
Shanghai With My Tween (Teenage Boy) - Part 1 - Novotel Hotels
Shanghai With My Tween (Teenage Boy) - Part 2 - Visiting The Museums


Starbucks Reserve Roastery (Flagship)

It is apparent that the young people in China fawn over the lifestyle of the Westerners (很崇洋), particularly those premium lifestyle brands. Just as we see Mcdonald's every 50-100 metres in Singapore's shopping belt and heartland malls, we noticed the same with Starbucks in Shanghai. When one is in Nanjing Road shopping belt, Xi Men Ding hippy spot or Pudong CBD, every corner you turn, you'll see Starbucks. It is the fact that Starbucks has dominated (successfully) in China and is growing fast in this market.

It is no wonder that Starbucks decided to launch its first overseas "Reserve Roastery" - an opulent flagship store with gourmet coffees and a bakery in Nanjing Road last year Dec (news). And it is the world's largest Starbucks, occupying 30,000sqft, over 2-storey. Of course, we have to go and take a good look!

Starbucks Reserve Roastery Shanghai felt like a maze and a sense of chaos with that crowd in that kind of space as I struggled to figure out where and how to order. When we finally settled in our seats on the ground floor, we realised that second floor has seating along the stairs railing so you can watch the action in the "factory" below too.

Many of the processes, like roasting and packaging the beans, happen right in front of the customers' eyes. It is pretty cool!

Besides beverages, there's plenty of croissants and muffins. There's also heartier fare like focaccia and pizza, and Belgian chocolates from chocolatier Neuhaus. The gift shop area takes up about a fifth of the open floor on the first floor, selling beans, various coffee devices, and other merchandise. 

China is known more for its tea culture, but it is adopting a coffee culture quickly, especially in its cities and among its growing the middle class. With the rising of this middle class and the opportunity in China, the market is going to be much larger here. If you are to Shanghai, do not forget to stop by Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Nanjing Road to have an unusual coffee experience.

Apple IFC Mall (Flagshipp)

The other American brand that China people adore has to be Apple. While there are a few Apple vendors are scattered around Shanghai, this flagship store in IFC Mall has the world's longest Genius Bar, and a glass column entrance modeled on the NYC Madison Avenue flagship. It is half the size of Starbucks Reserve Roastery, about 16,000sqft, and has over 250 unique Apple products on display for people to try, including over 100 Macs. It is a playground for AJ!

The centrepiece of the store is this 40-foot high glass cylinder with a spiral staircase that leads into its underground retail space. 

In our half an hour stay there, I observed that all their staff were smiling and were zealously enthused about helping customers. It is the same scene I saw in Starbucks Reserve Roastery. I wonder if incentives and the privilege of working in Flagship stores play a big role in customer service as well.

I find that these 2 places are worth visiting as they symbolise the social economic changes in Shanghai. In between the rich history and the modernisation, it is also not difficult to feel the huge gap in between.