What does the Shenzhen Reserve closure say about Starbucks success in China?
Starbucks' first Reserve flagship store in South China, the two-story standalone building at Shenzhen MixC World, closes permanently after business hours on October 12. Opened on December 28, 2017, it was the largest standalone Starbucks in Shenzhen and had drawn steady crowds of office workers, shoppers and visitors for nearly eight years.
The company cites lease expiration and adjustments to the commercial district's tenant mix. Starbucks has also shut other Shenzhen locations, feeding speculation about its market layout. The closure marks a shift in the chain's China footprint rather than a single lease ending, and it follows a long history of coffee in China that the brand helped shape.
Starbucks' first Reserve flagship store in South China—the two-story standalone location at Shenzhen MixC World—will officially close permanently after business hours on October 12. This iconic store, which had been open for nearly eight years, was once the largest standalone Starbucks in Shenzhen, and is now closing due to lease expiration and adjustments in the commercial district's business mix. After the news spread, many regular customers expressed deep regret. At the same time, Starbucks has also been closing stores at multiple locations in Shenzhen, sparking speculation about adjustments to its market layout. This article will review the store's history, customer reactions, reasons for closure, and Starbucks' response, along with related recommendations from Front Street Coffee.
▲
Click to follow | Daily specialty coffee culture magazine Coffee Workshop
According to multiple media reports including Foodinc and Southern Metropolis Daily, the Starbucks Reserve flagship store located at Shenzhen MixC World has been confirmed to officially close permanently after business hours on October 12 (this Sunday).
This store is quite special within the Shenzhen China Resources MixC World commercial district. It does not attach to the interior of the shopping mall, but instead stands independently beside the mall as a two-story standalone building. Its transparent glass curtain wall paired with the classic green mermaid logo makes it a highly recognizable presence in the district.
According to a WeChat public account, the store officially opened on December 28, 2017. It was the first Starbucks Reserve flagship store in South China and, at the time, the largest standalone flagship store in Shenzhen. The interior design was quite ingenious—upon pushing open the door, one could see a 360-degree fully open bar counter, and the artistic decorations incorporating urban elements on the walls left a deep impression on customers who visited.
Shenzhen residents who frequently patronized the store said that this Reserve store had been almost always full for nearly eight years of operation. White-collar workers from nearby office buildings, shoppers visiting the mall, and nearby residents were all regulars here, and occasionally Starbucks enthusiasts would make special trips to take photos and check in. Business had always been quite brisk.
Precisely because of this, when customers suddenly learned from staff that the store would permanently close this weekend, many were very surprised and lamented losing a wonderful place to enjoy coffee while taking in the scenery. "I really like that location, the environment inside is super great," "I've been around here for 6 years, I go here every time I meet clients," "The decor and everything is nice, it's really a shame to close it."
Beyond the regret, onlookers had various guesses about the reasons for this Starbucks Reserve store's closure. Some netizens revealed that after Starbucks withdraws, this uniquely designed two-story standalone building will be taken over by Japanese sportswear brand Descente, leading to speculation that lease expiration and other factors caused Starbucks not to renew.
Some local residents also noticed that in addition to the soon-to-close Reserve flagship store, Starbucks has also successively closed multiple stores in Shenzhen's urban area, including the Uniwalk B1 store and the Reserve Coffee · Bar at Ping An Finance Center. They believe that Starbucks' consecutive store closures may be an adjustment to its market layout, and speculate that this could be related to the brand's plan to sell its China business.
In response to the above, media reporters sought verification from relevant Starbucks Shenzhen personnel, who stated that the Shenzhen Reserve store decided to end operations recently due to contract expiration and adjustments in the commercial district's business mix. Starbucks responded that after the store closes, several other stores in the surrounding commercial district can continue to provide service, and consumers can choose other nearby stores.
Additionally, staff introduced that as of September 2025, Shenzhen has a total of 368 Starbucks stores. Starbucks stores in Shenzhen, whether in format, location, or design, are all being dynamically adjusted according to changing times and consumer needs. "For Starbucks, which has been deeply rooted in Shenzhen for nearly 23 years, there is both inheritance of the old and new, and replacement of the old with the new. Renovating old stores has already become the norm, and different stores will also be renovated and upgraded according to changes in the commercial district and consumer needs during their development and operation."
Image source: Internet
Disclaimer: Some images in this article are from the Internet. For some content on the website such as images, we will respect the original copyright and indicate the source. However, due to the large quantity, some images and text may not have been credited in time. Please understand. If the original author has any disputes, they can contact the website for handling. Once verified, we will correct it immediately. Compiled and edited by "Coffee Workshop." Please indicate the source when reprinting. If there is any infringement, please inform us for deletion. Thank you ~ !
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
