Abstract
The Starbucks Coffee Company owns today more than 6,000 retail locations in 37 countries: It is situated in all the continents: North America, Latin America, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim, that is to say "wherever there is a demand for good coffee". The first foreign coffeehouse opened in 1996 in Tokyo, where Starbucks is today a real myth. There is even a Japanese community on the Internet which is called "Starbucks love union". To implement this international development, Starbucks has a articulated structure: First, the Starbucks Coffee Company is the "leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world". Starbucks Coffee International is a wholly owned subsidiary of Starbucks Coffee Company. In each country, it has made partnerships with local retailers. For example, in France, the coffeehouses are run by Starbucks France SAS, which is a joint venture of Starbucks Coffee International and Crupo Vips (since September 2003). Crupo Vips is a reference in the restaurant and retail sector.
