IN BRIEF (Page 14)

Baskin-Robins expands

Baskin-Robbins, the world's largest chain of ice cream specialty shops, inked a deal in Shanghai yesterday with Shaanxi Stellerich Food & Restaurant Co Ltd to expand its stores into eastern and northwestern China. Baskin-Robbins plans to open 50 stores in Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shaanxi in the next five years. The US company's only presence on the mainland now is in Beijing.

Baskin-Robbins has 5,800 stores worldwide, including 2,100 in Asia.