Ramli was in China for almost 2 weeks in the month of August 1996 and he visited cities like Guangzhou,Lanzhou and Linxia.When he stayed at Victory Hotel in Lanzhou City,Ramli  was in need to drink his favourite coffee instead of green tea but to Ramli’s dismay there was no coffee made available in the room or even at the restaurant!So,Ramli decided to purchase at nearby shops and after some visits (maybe almost 6 shops) was Ramli successful to purchase a packet of Nescafe Coffee (it was the only packet available maybe they kept 1-2 packets for sale since noboby in China wants to buy Nescafe Coffee-Ramli think)
Now in 2011,there are millions of Coffee drinkers and Starbucks also have established their restaurants in many thousands in China and other Coffee Shops or Cafes have also follow suit like Coffee Beans and others even Kopitiam have decided to show their presence in China recently.
Why this great change of Tea Drinkers to Coffee Drinkers?Was there a great need to drink coffee or the Chnese are fed up of just drinking tea of all types?
Was the shift to love to drink coffee was the result of Chinese tourists travelling around the world and exposed to drinking coffee or was there many million of visitors to China or expatriates who demand for coffee or brought with them coffee and later Starbucks got the idea and saw the demand of coffee drinkers  increasing in China?
Ramli think is all about PROMOTIONS AND CONSTANT PROMOTIONS OF LOVE TO DRINK COFFEE.These promotions and positioning of drinking coffee like in Starbucks that created the “high lifestyle” or “feel good” situations for many Gen Y and Gen X in China and drinking coffee or eating McDonald’s burger or drinking Coca Cola have really stirred great excitement for Chinese in China.To them this is the “way to great living” and with the growth of their country in terms of modernization,flow of FDIs,establishment of new industrial and business areas have all made many Chinese richer and normal Chinese have now become modern and wants to enjoy lifestyles like others in modern cities around the world.The normal Chinese want to “catch up” or even “beat them” as far as economic growth,modern living and earnings per capita annually.Now rentals or salaries in many Chinese cities like Beijing,Shanghai and the new ones are among the highest in Asia and maybe in the world also!
So this story of Ramli wanting to drink coffee in China in August 1996 got a lot to do with the vast and dynamic growth of China’s Economy and now in 2011 China is second to USA as the world’s biggest economy surpassing Japan and coffee is everywhere in China and one no need to run around the cities to drink a cuppa of coffee since many shops and places now sell and served coffee!
Ramli just feel disappointed that he did not pursue to set up coffee shops like Starbucks in 1996 (due to capital constraints) or trade in coffee beans to all of China cities where the demand of coffee have grown to enormous levels that are so profitable and sustaining even now!It just goes to show that when we realized such a great business opportunity we must not rest or wait BUT we must pursue our dreams or mission to make a business venture successful!Just ask Starbucks why did they enter China to open up their Starbucks Cafes and how much profits they made till now?Ask also Kopitiam people from Malaysia?
Any enquiries please contact Ramli Abu Hassan at mobile:+6-019-2537165 or email at : ramlipromoter@yahoo.com
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