Urumqi Evening News (Reporters Guo Ling, Li Kai, Mirezat Mutalifu) On September 29, Starbucks' first two stores in Xinjiang officially opened their doors to customers: the Starbucks International Grand Bazaar Intangible Cultural Heritage Flagship Store (Starbucks Bazaar) and the Starbucks Tianshan International Airport Store.
As key investment attraction projects for Urumqi in 2026, the two stores are positioned around different consumer scenarios, putting into practice Starbucks' 'a thousand stores, a thousand faces' brand strategy, deeply integrating Xinjiang's local cultural characteristics with the coffee consumption experience, and injecting fresh vitality into the capital city's consumer market. On September 29, at the Starbucks International Grand Bazaar Intangible Cultural Heritage Flagship Store, performers danced for customers on the second-floor dance stage, weaving traditional intangible cultural heritage performances into the coffee space.
The two stores that have now opened have different positioning, presenting differentiated localized expressions. Located in the International Grand Bazaar, 'Starbucks Bazaar' is the country's first Starbucks intangible cultural heritage flagship store. The store has joined hands with several Xinjiang intangible cultural heritage inheritors to organically combine intangible cultural heritage art and folk culture with coffee lifestyle scenarios, creating a cultural tourism check-in destination. The Urumqi Tianshan International Airport store, meanwhile, takes the 'Silk Road Post Station' as its design concept, focusing on the travel needs of passing passengers, allowing weary travelers to feel Xinjiang's unique warmth and hospitality over a cup of coffee. On September 29, at the Starbucks International Grand Bazaar Intangible Cultural Heritage Flagship Store, a barista displays coffee with latte art shaped like a 'Tianshan Snow Lotus.'
'Entering Xinjiang not only means a further expansion of Starbucks' store network, but also means we have the opportunity to go deep into this vibrant market and build sincere and lasting connections with customers in Xinjiang,' said Liu Wenjuan, CEO of Starbucks China. 'We hope to bring to Xinjiang not just new stores, but a brand-new experience that truly integrates into the local culture and responds to the unique needs of customers and the community.' On September 29, at the Starbucks International Grand Bazaar Intangible Cultural Heritage Flagship Store, a barista displays Xinjiang-exclusive beverages and specialty-flavored desserts.
Since 2020, Starbucks has established seven intangible cultural heritage concept stores across the country, continuously using space design and themed merchandise to spread intangible cultural heritage culture. The 'Starbucks Bazaar' unveiled this time represents a brand-new upgrade of the intangible cultural heritage store model. Unlike previous concept stores, the store features immersive intangible cultural heritage performance content, jointly creating a song-and-dance experience titled 'Dancing Bazaar' with inheritors of Xinjiang's Twelve Muqam intangible cultural heritage. The second-floor stage of the store can be activated at any time, with traditional ethnic music, distinctive dances, and coffee culture complementing one another. Customers are no longer merely spectators; they can also participate in interactive experiences and feel the charm of Xinjiang's intangible cultural heritage up close. On September 29, at the Starbucks International Grand Bazaar Intangible Cultural Heritage Flagship Store, children view a store architectural model.
In addition to the distinctive cultural experience, the store has also launched four Xinjiang-exclusive specialty beverages and a variety of local-flavor foods. 'My partners and I are already prepared. We will welcome every customer with professional coffee and sincere, enthusiastic service, whether they are local residents or travelers from afar, so that everyone can feel the passion and warmth that belongs to Xinjiang,' said Ma Ying, store manager of 'Starbucks Bazaar.' On September 29, at the Starbucks International Grand Bazaar Intangible Cultural Heritage Flagship Store, customers select themed merchandise that blends Starbucks brand elements with Xinjiang characteristics.
On opening day, the Grand Bazaar store welcomed a large number of local residents and out-of-town tourists eager to check in. 'The Grand Bazaar itself is a tourist check-in spot, and now there's an intangible cultural heritage coffee experience as well. While visiting the scenic area, you can also experience folk culture—it's especially novel,' said Mina, a tourist who came to consume. She said she made a special trip to try the Xinjiang-exclusive beverages, and the immersive song-and-dance performances made the entire consumption experience much richer. Many residents said the store combines local characteristics with the coffee business, making consumption more than just drinking coffee—it adds a layer of cultural experience. On September 29, the Starbucks International Grand Bazaar Intangible Cultural Heritage Flagship Store displays 'Silk Road Desert Bloom' pour-over coffee, with specialty desserts and Bear Store Manager merchandise complementing each other.
During the National Day holiday, the store's exclusive Xinjiang specialty beverages and specialty foods will be available for a limited time at more than 2,700 Starbucks stores nationwide, allowing consumers across the country to appreciate Xinjiang's distinctive style. On September 29, at the Starbucks International Grand Bazaar Intangible Cultural Heritage Flagship Store, customers take photos with specialty beverages. On September 29, at the Starbucks International Grand Bazaar Intangible Cultural Heritage Flagship Store, staff invite customers to dance joyfully together. On September 29, at the Starbucks International Grand Bazaar Intangible Cultural Heritage Flagship Store, a barista prepares pour-over coffee on site.
As a key investment attraction achievement in Urumqi's commercial sector, since the beginning of this year the capital city has continued to intensify the introduction of consumer projects. In addition to the two Starbucks debut stores, a number of key commercial projects such as the Xinjiang Haining Leather City and the JD Home Super Flagship Store have successively landed. Various brand debut stores and new business formats are continuously enriching the city's consumer supply, improving the layout of commercial formats, and steadily enhancing the city's consumer capacity, helping Urumqi build itself into a regional consumer center city.