Starbucks gets closer to customers with virtual store

World-leading coffee chain Starbucks said it will further enhance its digital collaboration with Alibaba Group by launching its first-ever virtual store.

The move will offer digital resources from Alibaba's ecosystem - including e-commerce sites Taobao and Tmall, and virtual wallet Alipay - expanding Starbucks' current online offering.

Molly Liu, vice-president of Digital Venture, Starbucks China, said: "This new milestone in the Starbucks digital strategy will significantly fuel our capability to provide an even more personalized and enticing one-touch digital experience for Chinese consumers, while extending the accessibility of our digital innovations into the everyday lifestyle rituals of our customers."