Starbucks to open 1,500 more cafes in the U.S.

[onehandle]

Source: AP

NEW YORK - Another Starbucks may soon pop up around the corner, with the world's biggest coffee company planning to add at least 1,500 cafes in the U.S. over the next five years.

Starbucks said Wednesday that it plans to boost the number of locations in its biggest market by about 13 percent by 2017. In the broader Americas region, the company plans to add a total of 3,000 new cafes by that time.

Starbucks also is planning to expand overseas, particularly in China, which is expected to surpass Canada as Starbucks' second-biggest market in the next two years. By that time, Starbucks says it will have 20,000 stores globally, up from about 18,000.

The upbeat expansion plans mark a turnaround from Starbucks' struggles during the recession. After hitting a rough patch, the company brought back founder Howard Schultz as CEO in 2008 and embarked on a massive restructuring effort that included closing 10 percent of its U.S. stores.

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/food/20121205_ap_starbuckstoopen1500morecafesintheus.html

[brooklynite]

1. Well that's a relief...

There are six within two blocks of my office, which makes the walk completely unacceptable.....

[onehandle]

2. Well, at least it's growth. nt

[Sherman A1]

4. It's also a good sign about the economy in general

granted these are generally low paying jobs and ones that should pay much better than they do. That said, any company talking about growth (particularly 1500 units) is going to create a lot of jobs simply in the construction phase of that expansion. It also indicates that the company is thinking the future looks good enough to fund that expansion.

[liberal N proud]

3. More low paying wages serving customers an overpriced product

Tell me when there are new jobs that pay a living wage! That will be news.

[AlexSatan]

17. Obviously someone can afford

to pay for that overpriced product.

[no_hypocrisy]

5. Anyone know how Starbucks is doing in countries in Europe like France and Italy

where the culture is dedicated to its own cafes?

[Princess Turandot]

7. Google Maps for Starbucks near Paris, FR..

http://goo.gl/maps/rZBV3

[mainer]

6. Starbucks in Beijing was PACKED

even though the drinks are pretty pricey for the average Chinese wage-earner. When I was there, you couldn't find a place to sit, and the line went all the way to the door. So expanding in China is a no-brainer for Starbucks.

[RobinA]

8. Starbucks...

It ain't what it used to be. They used to have this super fantastic iced tea. Regular tea black tea, but it was Earl Grey. As an iced tea drinker, a lot (must) of what you get, even at a good restaurant, is mediocre at best to downright undrinkable, and I will drink pretty much anything. Starbucks was the exception. Clear, refreshing, great tasing iced tea. Went there about a year or so ago to get my fix of decent tea. First thing I noticed, it wasn't clear. Took a sip and OMG it was the same swill I can get anywhere. I figured it was an anomaly. But no, I've had it five times since at five different Starbucks and it's been the same crap each time. End of ice tea buying at Starbucks. Used to go there for cool travel mugs. Haven't seen them for quite some time. End of travel mug buying at Starbucks. Coffee? Can't put my finger on it, but something is changed. Used to go there for coffee and pick up a bag of beans. Seldom go there for coffee due to it being just meh, don't pick up that bag of beans anymore.

I used to like Starbucks, their stores, their products. I would make a special trip to Starbucks. Thought their marketing was top shelf. But they cut too much out of it, maybe to concentrate on specialty drinks, which don't interest me. So I rarely go there now. I'm sure they don't miss me in the scheme of things, but a couple local stores probablu lost a couple hundred a year on me. If anyone else noticed the changes, I'm probably not the only one who has turned away.

And yeah, I know it isn't politically correct to like Starbucks, but in my area there were no, NO, alternatives and they were a welcome addition.

[Ikonoklast]

9. I rented a spare bedroom to Starbucks.

Then I found out the family across the street did the same thing.



Parking is a nightmare now.

[Myrina]

10. +100 ROFL

That's about it, too!

Have their marketing/development geniuses never heard of 'market saturation'?

[Habibi]

15. lol. Reminds me of one of my favorite Onion headlines:

"Starbucks opens in Starbucks bathroom."

[mac56]

11. Lewis Black nailed it years ago

There sits a Starbucks, and directly across the street from that exact same building as that Starbucks, there is another Starbucks. There is a Starbucks across the street from another Starbucks. And, ladies and gentlemen, that is the end of the universe.

People have asked me, "How do you know this?" Well - go there. Stand between those two Starbucks, and when you look at your watch, time stands still.

And what's truly amazing, if you turn and look just at one Starbucks, immediately you think, "You know, when I turn around, there can't possibly be a Starbucks behind me. If there's a just and loving God, how could He allow that to happen?" So you turn slowly, thinking maybe there's a McDonald's there, or possibly an Exxon station, or maybe a Gap - but there's another Starbucks!

Many people have asked: are there too many Starbucks? Well, now we know. YES. When you build a Starbucks across the road from another Starbucks, the game is over. You can build no more.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

12. Then there's this: Starbucks to slash paid lunch breaks and sick leave

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/dec/03/starbucks-slash-lunch-breaks

Starbucks is cutting paid lunch breaks, sick leave and maternity benefits for thousands of British workers, sparking fresh anger over its business practices.

On the day the House of Commons' public accounts committee branded the US coffee chain's tax avoidance practices "immoral", baristas arriving for work were told to sign revised employment terms, which include the removal of paid 30-minute lunch breaks and paid sick leave for the first day of illness. Some will also see pay increases frozen.

The changes affecting about 7,000 coffee shop staff emerged as the company tried to quell public and political outrage at its use of secretive company structures that has seen it pay just £8.6m in UK tax over the past 13 years on sales of £3.1bn.

On Saturday Starbucks announced it would open talks with the UK government that could lead to it paying more tax in future and on Monday it was reported that such an announcement could come on Wednesday. But at the same time it was telling workers it was removing benefits and changing employment arrangements.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

13. Ugh am I missing something?

Didn't they just close a bunch of stores a few years ago? I seem to remember them saying that they expanded too fast.

[louis-t]

16. When the economy took a crap, they closed a lot of stores.

Every story on how to economize included the words "cut out that $3.50 coffee."

[montanto]

14. a man, being just as hungry as thirsty,

and placed in between food and drink, must necessarily remain where he is and starve to death.

— Aristotle, On the Heavens, ca.350 BCE