SHANGHAI, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Starbucks Coffee Company and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd announced a strategic partnership Thursday in Shanghai that will enable a seamless Starbucks Experience in China.

Collaborating across key businesses within the Alibaba ecosystem, including Ele.me, Hema, Tmall, Taobao and Alipay, Starbucks announced plans to pilot delivery services beginning September 2018 in 150 stores located in key trade zones in Beijing and Shanghai.

The company plans to accelerate and expand its delivery program to more than 2,000 Starbucks stores across 30 cities by the end of 2018.

Meanwhile, it will establish "Starbucks Delivery Kitchens" for delivery order fulfillment and integrate multiple platforms to create a virtual Starbucks store with a more personalized online experience for Chinese customers.

"Thanks to the elevated customer experience delivered by our over 45,000 partners, Starbucks is growing and innovating faster in China than anywhere else in the world," said Kevin Johnson, president and chief executive officer at Starbucks Coffee Company.?