SHANGHAI - Coffee giant Starbucks said on Wednesday that its store count on the Chinese mainland is expected to grow to 9,000 by 2025, creating some 35,000 new jobs.

The number of stores on the Chinese mainland is set to reach 6,000 by end-September.

"Through the launch of the Starbucks China 2025 purpose-driven growth agenda, we reaffirm our strong confidence in the prospects and opportunities of the Chinese market with concrete commitments and actions," said Ms Belinda Wong, chairman of Starbucks China.

Starbucks is now more resilient than ever after navigating challenges since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, she said.

With an investment of about 1.1 billion yuan (S$221 million), a Starbucks coffee creative park in Kunshan, east China's Jiangsu Province, will be completed and put into operation in 2023.

Starbucks said it plans to set up its first digital technology innovation centre on the mainland, for which the company will spend more than 1.4 billion yuan. XINHUA