스타벅스 달랑 3곳 남은 나라…스웨덴에서 실패한 이유
(2026) In Hangyoreh- Abstract
- The article examines Starbucks as a global cultural symbol whose success varies sharply across contexts, contrasting its exceptional growth in South Korea with its near failure in Sweden. In Korea, Starbucks has thrived by pioneering localized marketing and spatial design strategies, enjoying unusual autonomy from headquarters and shaping new consumption patterns; however, recent controversies have raised questions about the brand’s cultural sensitivity and broader social implications. In contrast, despite Sweden’s strong coffee culture, Starbucks struggled due to the deeply rooted “fika” tradition emphasizing social relations and rest, strong domestic competitors, and structural factors such as labor conditions, leaving only three stores... (More)
- The article examines Starbucks as a global cultural symbol whose success varies sharply across contexts, contrasting its exceptional growth in South Korea with its near failure in Sweden. In Korea, Starbucks has thrived by pioneering localized marketing and spatial design strategies, enjoying unusual autonomy from headquarters and shaping new consumption patterns; however, recent controversies have raised questions about the brand’s cultural sensitivity and broader social implications. In contrast, despite Sweden’s strong coffee culture, Starbucks struggled due to the deeply rooted “fika” tradition emphasizing social relations and rest, strong domestic competitors, and structural factors such as labor conditions, leaving only three stores in operation. Rather than weakening local firms, Starbucks’ entry even coincided with the expansion of Swedish brands like Espresso House. The comparison ultimately raises broader questions about whether culture can be externally imposed or is internally sustained, and invites reflection on what Starbucks’ rapid expansion in Korea reveals about the intersections of consumption, culture, power, and corporate responsibility. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/d25b39db-3826-4864-810c-d06c3d289e6e
- author
- Kim, Heyjin LU
- organization
- alternative title
- A country with only three Starbucks stores left… Why Starbucks failed in Sweden
- publishing date
- 2026-05-26
- type
- Contribution to specialist publication or newspaper
- publication status
- published
- subject
- categories
- Popular Science
- in
- Hangyoreh
- language
- Korean
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- d25b39db-3826-4864-810c-d06c3d289e6e
- date added to LUP
- 2026-05-26 09:18:47
- date last changed
- 2026-05-27 09:01:26
@article{d25b39db-3826-4864-810c-d06c3d289e6e,
abstract = {{The article examines Starbucks as a global cultural symbol whose success varies sharply across contexts, contrasting its exceptional growth in South Korea with its near failure in Sweden. In Korea, Starbucks has thrived by pioneering localized marketing and spatial design strategies, enjoying unusual autonomy from headquarters and shaping new consumption patterns; however, recent controversies have raised questions about the brand’s cultural sensitivity and broader social implications. In contrast, despite Sweden’s strong coffee culture, Starbucks struggled due to the deeply rooted “fika” tradition emphasizing social relations and rest, strong domestic competitors, and structural factors such as labor conditions, leaving only three stores in operation. Rather than weakening local firms, Starbucks’ entry even coincided with the expansion of Swedish brands like Espresso House. The comparison ultimately raises broader questions about whether culture can be externally imposed or is internally sustained, and invites reflection on what Starbucks’ rapid expansion in Korea reveals about the intersections of consumption, culture, power, and corporate responsibility.}},
author = {{Kim, Heyjin}},
language = {{kor}},
month = {{05}},
series = {{Hangyoreh}},
title = {{스타벅스 달랑 3곳 남은 나라…스웨덴에서 실패한 이유}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/251168807/_starbucks.pdf}},
year = {{2026}},
}