Companies and Brands

A Brand New Starbucks

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: November 4, 2023 10:51 am

Starbucks will look like nothing you have ever seen. That is, according to its management. And, it is more than their new holiday cups, which were just released. “It’s the season of joy at Starbucks, and the holiday menu is back starting Nov. 2 at Starbucks stores in the United States,” management chuckled.

The heads of Starbucks say that it has released a new strategy for the future. And they say that the future is “limitless.” It calls these changes “promises.” They are for stakeholders, which are both employees and shareholders. Shareholders were rewarded recently by Starbucks’s earnings.

First, management promised better stores. That implies that current ones have problems. Renovations are at the core of this problem, which means the stores need rebuilding. By the way, some of this is based on new equipment.

Next, Starbucks wants to increase its online card holders by double. The current number is 75 million. Once again, what is wanting about the present version of the experience for cardholders? At least they are easy to use, with Starbucks’s many locations.

Starbucks was global, the management says. It will, however, become “truly global.” Part of this global plan is for coffee people to buy to drink at home. And, oh, there will be 9,000 stores in China within two years.

Starbucks will become more efficient. Part of this is a cut in the churn of its workers. Too many leave after too little time. Perhaps this is because they are paid poorly and have started to form unions.  (These are the states with the most union membership.)

The last is that Starbucks will not start the company now. It already has a 50-year history. CEO Laxman Narasimhan has traveled around the world and visited many Starbucks. This travel will drive a new mission. He has not, however, been CEO for a year yet.

While this only appears to be five changes, Starbucks has another six-part vision, which is the real one. The five versus six is confusing—the alternative six concerns the future. They are partners, everyday farmers, communities, the environment, customers, and shareholders. The list of six, however, is buried in the announcement. (Here are the best independent coffee shops in each state.)