When Starbucks opened its first store in Beijing in 1999, it wasn’t just selling coffee; it was selling Western aspirations to China's rising middle class. The Seattle-based giant expanded rapidly to dominate China’s premium coffee scene. That early-mover advantage has, however, since eroded. Chinese competitors like Luckin Coffee and Manner have overtaken Starbucks in store count and captured market share, thanks to aggressive pricing, mobile integration and a sharper understanding of Chinese