China on Wednesday rejected a $2.4bn Coca-Cola deal that would have been the country's biggest foreign takeover, stoking fears of protectionism and warnings the decision could scupper Beijing's push to invest in overseas mining companies.
Cobra Beer, the Indian-themed lager brand, is prepared to split its UK and Indian businesses and sell them to separate buyers as its founder, Lord Bilimoria, seeks $274m for the group.
New initiatives in the US stores will include the introduction of a new blend of coffee named after the company's first store at Pike Place, Seattle, and the rapid roll out of the new low-level Mastrena machines - which allowing greater eye-contact with customers. The new machines will be introduced into 30 percent of its more than 7,000 US stores by the end of the year, and into three-quarters of its stores by the end of 2010. The company also said it had acquired the Cof
However, the world's largest non-alcoholic drinks company said that it remained well-placed to face any slowing in US consumer demand, as it reported results supported by strong international growth.
British food producers increased prices by 7.4 per cent last year -- the biggest annual increase since the country's National Statistics office began tracking them 15 years ago -- due to big jumps in the cost of producing bread, butter, eggs, milk and meat. In Russia, prices went up so sharply -- milk rose by some 30 per cent and bread went up 22 per cent - that the government froze prices towards the end of the year.
Howard Schultz has returned as CEO of Starbucks with a mission: reinvigorating the "romance and theatre" of coffee-making that have been damaged in global expansion.
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