Guess Where Coca-Cola Is Investing $4 Billion

[livnxxxl]

http://news.yahoo.com/guess-where-co...XN0Aw--;_ylv=3

[Bill]

It's a sure thing, why not?
I was in Shen Zhen back in '97, the roads were filled with scooters and little 250cc motorcycles; five years ago those same bikes were banned from the roads in the same major manufacturing sector of China. Things are changing.

[Hector]

I also say why not?

Coke is just a company like any other company...to invest...and make more money in return...just like clockwork. Nothing shocking here.

Also...the Chinese love to drink Coke too...lol.

[samurainoir]

I was in three cities in China late last year and would have been hard pressed to realize I was in a communist country at first glance. Starbucks, McDonalds, KFC, and Coca Cola everywhere.

A real contrast from my visit a quarter century previous. Or even to visiting a place like Cuba, which was a country seemingly free of brands... Other than one Canadian pizza franchise I stumbled across in Veridero (Pizza nova?)

[emeraldknight47]

I was in three cities in China late last year and would have been hard pressed to realize I was in a communist country at first glance. Starbucks, McDonalds, KFC, and Coca Cola everywhere.

A real contrast from my visit a quarter century previous. Or even to visiting a place like Cuba, which was a country seemingly free of brands... Other than one Canadian pizza franchise I stumbled across in Veridero (Pizza nova?)

Not that this has ANYTHING at all to do with the topic at hand, but SN, you certainly seem to be one well-traveled individual. I envy you....

[Marty.N]

Coke Classic Cola for everyone. That will bring in the

[starsky]

not surprised at all. seems like every major company now has an investment in china.

[Adam West]

Doesn't surprise me either. I spend quite a bit of time researching public companies and found out that KFC is more popular than McDonalds. Apparently, they prefer fried chicken to Big Macs.

[samurainoir]

Doesn't surprise me either. I spend quite a bit of time researching public companies and found out that KFC is more popular than McDonalds. Apparently, they prefer fried chicken to Big Macs.

Also Japan where every store seems to have this life sized statue out front that they just love to dress up.







This one is my favourite

[ctc]

>would have been hard pressed to realize I was in a communist country at first glance.

I think since the 90's they've only been nominally communist.

>Also Japan where every store seems to have this life sized statue out front that they just love to dress up

HEY! The second pic looks like Dorothy from "Big-O!" I wonder if it animates to fight crime....

Don C.

[samurainoir]

>would have been hard pressed to realize I was in a communist country at first glance.

I think since the 90's they've only been nominally communist.

.

I wouldn't quite go that far. Past the Lacoste shirts and Baskin Robbins, the People's Propoganda Machine was still hard at work. NEVER take a bus tour in China if you can help it... They will keep you endlessly in factory tours where they hard sell you into buying silk sheets, green tea, and tiny snuff bottles with goldfish and dragons painted on the inside, while rushing you through truly significant and historical sites that you want to be spending your time exploring. Plus The People's version of Cirque de Soliel... Which I can't even begin to quite put into words other than it was like being punched in the face by a singing dancing laser light show.

Then there are these wake up calls that remind us that Tiananman Square wasn't really that long ago.
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei arrested in ongoing government crackdown - The Washington Post

But yeah, hard to wrap your head around the fact that Coke and McDonalds are the most powerful forces of change in our world and that this is ultimately how you take down communism when the cold war gives it up.

[Hector]

Doesn't surprise me either. I spend quite a bit of time researching public companies and found out that KFC is more popular than McDonalds. Apparently, they prefer fried chicken to Big Macs.

This is true.

Burger joints seem to struggle in China...but not KFC...they love that fired chicken...lol.

[Den82]

Yay for Americanization. Now they too can feel like they're living in a commercial when they walk down the street and get to eat lab experiments posing as "food". I'm sure that will ease the pain of having to work 12 hours for a bowl of rice.

[Adam West]

There is a fast food style Chinese restaurant growing pretty fast in China called "Country Style Cooking"....sounds like down home feel good American food but is actually Chinese food made inexpensively to appeal to the growing middle class. The company went public last year and although the stock price isn't moving much (I think it is down from its IPO price), it seems to be growing at a fast clip. Small company Chinese stocks trading on the NYSE are getting hammered right now because there is suspicion that many of them are cooking their books. Apparently, this is true for some companies but Wall Street has thrown the baby out with the bath water. If you have the ability to seperate the wheat from the chaffe; you will eventually make a killing in some of these companies.

[samurainoir]

This is true.

Burger joints seem to struggle in China...but not KFC...they love that fired chicken...lol.

Although Mcdonald's is quite popular in Hong Kong, where it's been established for at least forty years. You can now have your wedding at the McDonalds there.
Which Star Couple Should Have a Fast-Food Wedding? - OK! Magazine - The First for Celebrity News

In Japan McDonald's biggest competition is Mos Burger which caters more to the palette of the Japanese.