SHANGHAI, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Starbucks said Monday it did not sell its VIA instant coffee in supermarkets on the Chinese mainland, responding to claims about "fake Starbucks" found in cities like Beijing and Nanjing.
Media reports have surfaced about "Starbucks VIA instant coffee" found in a number of high-end supermarkets in Chinese cities, with labels describing their distributor as "Guangzhou Baiyi Foods Trade Co., Ltd."
A survey at a Nanjing supermarket by Xinhua reporters found the "Starbucks VIA" in question have almost the same design as those sold at Starbucks outlets.
Starbucks China told Xinhua that its "Starbucks VIA" instant coffee is only sold at its outlets and its Tmall store. Tmall is a popular online shopping platform in China.
The company said it will take legal actions against any counterfeited Starbucks products.
