Starbucks to open first Tazo tea store
Starbucks, the world's largest coffee-shop operator, has announced plans to open its first Tazo tea store in October. The tea-only Tazo store, which will be located near the company's headquarters in Seattle's University Village, will sell more than 80 varieties of loose-leaf tea and will allow Starbucks to test the waters of tea retailing. The store will also feature a personalized tea blending station, as well as pastries, baked goods and packaged chocolates. Starbucks, which currently operates more than 17,000 locations worldwide, bought Tazo in 1999 for $8.1 million. Tazo is now a $1.4 billion brand and Starbucks hopes that it can increase its presence in the $95bn global tea market. The company claims it does not have immediate plans to open further stores.