Leading Chinese coffee chain expands rapidly, opening over 5,000 new locations in the first half of the year, while other domestic competitors continue to shrink. The company added a net of 2,548 outlets in the first quarter and 2,714 in the second quarter, reaching a total of 36,310 stores globally. Meanwhile, other coffee brands have slowed their expansion efforts in China, with the total number of coffee shops decreasing from 243,000 in January to 227,000 in June. The company’s CEO emphasized the importance of maintaining the current pace of growth to increase market share, noting that China’s coffee market still offers significant room for new outlets. Revenue from company-operated stores rose 27% to about $1.8 billion, and franchised store revenue increased 28% to roughly $543 million.