Chinese consumers demand fair prices for their Starbucks lattes

Chinese social media is brimming with a topic familiar to many Westerners: complaints over the price of Starbucks coffee. But Chinese caffeine addicts may have more reason to complain. The Seattle-based chain charges premium prices for its brews in China, similar to other U.S. retailers who cash in on the value of their name brands in Asia. China’s CCTV found that a medium latte costs $4.43 in China, vs about $3.28 in Chicago. The FT reports that Starbucks has a frothy 36% operating margin in Asia.