News Blog

1 min read

April 29, 2025

Early momentum on our “Back to Starbucks” strategy, with customers at the core

Earlier today, we announced Starbucks Q2 FY25 earnings results. You can hear directly from our chairman and ceo, Brian Niccol, here and see our full results here.

Seven months into our “Back to Starbucks” journey, we’ve moved quickly to put our customers at the center of all we do and the momentum we’re seeing gives us confidence in the path ahead. We have the right leaders and the right strategy in place. We’re testing and learning at speed and seeing changes that let us know we’re making the right investments to unlock opportunities ahead.

Our partners are leading a green wave of hospitality, with a customer-focused culture. These moments of connection, combined with the improvements we’ve made to enhance the coffeehouse experience, are giving customers a reason to sit and stay.

We’re improving speed-of-service, throughput, and connection with the right staffing and deployment. And our new marketing is resonating with customers.

This progress is a testament to the power of the Starbucks brand and our green apron partners who are leading our comeback.

Here are key highlights in case you missed it:

2 min read

April 25, 2025

Our ongoing commitment to fair bargaining

Our commitment is to ensuring Starbucks is the best place to work for every partner (employee) and is the unrivaled best job in retail.

This week, despite nearly 200 hours of negotiations and more than 130 proposals exchanged, Workers United made the decision to present an incomplete framework for single-store contracts to their delegates to vote on, effectively undermining our collective progress. The union’s actions, unfortunately, only cause further delay in reaching a mutual agreement on the path forward.

At Starbucks, we offer equity grants to retail partners, and we were the first major retailer to provide health benefits for full and part-time work and covers 100% of tuition for partners pursuing a four-year degree. We recently invested over $3 billion in the partner experience, including wages and benefits. The average pay for hourly partners is now over $19, and with benefits, it is worth over $30 per hour.

No other retailer offers such a comprehensive package. Starbucks is the industry leader in terms of total pay and benefits which far exceed retail industry norms. At Starbucks, our store labor costs as a percentage of sales are notably higher than others in the industry, because we have consistently invested in pay and benefits over many years. Any agreement we reach needs to reflect the reality that we already provide the best job in retail.

Starbucks remains optimistic that, through productive compromise and respectful dialogue, we can finalize a contract that is fair and equitable. A strong and successful Starbucks is in the interest of every partner.

2 min read

April 24, 2025

Reaffirming Starbucks dedication to ethically sourced coffee

Our pledge to farming communities through C.A.F.E. Practices

Starbucks has a long-standing commitment to ethical sourcing and the well-being of coffee farmers and workers. A recent complaint concerning coffee sourcing from Brazil’s coffee cooperatives calls that commitment into question – a matter you can imagine we don’t take lightly.

For me, and I’m sure for many partners, this feels personal. And it is. Because we continually strive for our ethical sourcing program to be best-in-class. And because the tradition of great coffee is what has set us apart for more than 50 years. Our commitment to build a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient future for coffee is unwavering.

The claims asserted in the complaint about Starbucks are without merit, and we plan to vigorously defend our company. More specifically, the reporting mischaracterizes and misunderstands Starbucks coffee supply chain.

Here is what you need to know

At Starbucks, we have visibility into our coffee supply chain, which means we know which farms around the world supply the coffee we love. In this case, we know we purchase coffee from only a small fraction of the more than 19,000 coffee farms that are members of the cooperative referenced in the complaint. That is because only a small fraction of those farms are Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices verified, and we only buy from farms that have this verification.

Over time, and with intention, we have audited farms, assessed outcomes, and continuously enhanced our auditing standards and practices to be among the toughest in
the industry.

C.A.F.E. Practices is a verification program, not a one-time certification system. When Starbucks is notified of alleged violations of our ethical sourcing standards, we take immediate and appropriate action, which may include terminating our relationship with that supplier.

We will continue to maintain our commitments in regions where we source coffee across the globe – even when it’s hard – because it is the right thing to do.

Read more about our approach to ethically sourcing coffee here.

Michelle Burns
evp, global coffee & sustainability  

2 min read

April 22, 2025

Celebrating our progress this Earth Month

When you fill your cup at Starbucks, you’re not just getting the world’s finest coffee – you’re contributing to a more sustainable future. Here’s a look at how our efforts are helping protect our planet:

Sustainable coffee innovation: Our network of ten Farmer Support Centers around the world are testing and scaling innovative practices like eco-mills that conserve water, smart composting that reduces waste, and distributing millions of climate resilient coffee seedlings. These actions help farmers increase productivity and profitability, while building their climate resilience. They’re a critical part of how we are working to secure the future of coffee for all, starting at the first ten feet.

A more sustainable coffeehouse experience: More customers and partners (employees) are enjoying ceramic mugs, glasses and reusable personal cups, and this year, we are on track to verify 10,000 stores for meeting rigorous sustainability standards. These stores save us over $60 million in operating costs annually with 30% water savings and 30% energy reduction. This year, we’re also recognizing five of these stores for their unique and dedicated efforts – congratulations to the many partners (employees) driving this success!

General Booth & Nimmo, Virginia Beach, VA, USA

Inside of General Booth and Nimmo Starbucks store

Ahau Tulum, Mexico

Inside of Ahau Tulum Starbucks Store in Mexico

Kampot ‘Fish Market,’ Cambodia

Inside of Kampot Fish Market Starbucks store in Cambodia with efficient fixtures

Kyoto Kuze Store, Japan

Inside of Kyoto Kuze Starbucks Store in Japan

Shanghai Disney Resort, China

Good stewards in our communities: Our environmental actions make a difference at scale in our communities. Whether through our ten-year track record of using 100% renewable electricity across all our US and Canada stores, availability of onsite or nearby EV chargers at more than 1,000 of our coffeehouses, or boosting recycling access for our cups through the NextGen Consortium, our actions catalyze broader positive impact. An inspiring recent example is our support for the first major, successful community-wide trial of reusable cups in Petaluma, California.

Thank you to our partners around the world for your passion, hard work, and dedication. Together, let’s keep learning and taking action to make an even more positive impact on our communities and planet.

Marika McCauley Sine
chief sustainability officer

2 min read

March 4, 2025

Message from Brian: Thank you, Rachel Ruggeri and welcome Cathy Smith

Partners,

I wanted to let you know that Rachel Ruggeri is leaving Starbucks. I’m grateful for everything Rachel has done for the company. Over her nearly 20 years at Starbucks, Rachel has held many important roles, always leading with integrity, a focus on results and a strong belief in the importance of our culture. She’s consistently taken on big challenges and helped teams succeed. In everything she does she puts customers and partners at the center.

I know Rachel has helped the company navigate through some of the most challenging times and played a key role in some of our biggest successes. When people share stories about Rachel tackling a significant challenge or leaning into a new opportunity, they highlight the same qualities. Rachel was always a steady hand, a clear thinker and often the voice that reminded us of the clarity we get from our mission, and our values. She understands the numbers intimately and values the people deeply.

I’m personally grateful for the partnership we’ve had over the last 6 months since I joined Starbucks. Thank you, Rachel, for all you have done for our business, our culture and our partners.

Rachel is going to spend some time assisting with the transition and we’ll have an opportunity for partners to say thank you to Rachel for her impact and share their favorite stories about how Rachel has influenced their personal or professional journey. Stay tuned for more details.

I’m thrilled to welcome Cathy Smith as our new CFO. Cathy brings incredible knowledge and extensive experience in retail, global operations, and turnaround success. She’s held CFO roles at Nordstrom, Target, and Walmart International. She’s a great person and a great leader. I’m excited to partner with her as we continue our work on the Back to Starbucks plan. Cathy will start in the next month.

Please join me in thanking Rachel, and welcoming Cathy.

Brian Niccol,
chairman and chief executive officer

4 min read

February 24, 2025

Message from Brian: Global Support Partner Announcement

In January, I shared that we were evaluating the role, structure and size of our global support teams to help us deliver on our “Back to Starbucks” plan and position the company for future success.

4 min read

January 28, 2025

Message from Brian: Executive Leadership Team Changes

As we focus on our “Back to Starbucks” plan, we need a new operating model for our retail team, with clear ownership and accountability and an appropriate scope for each role.

3 min read

January 17, 2025

Back to Starbucks: Transforming our support organization

We have much more work to do but I'm pleased with the progress we've made and appreciate how everyone has rallied around the plan.

2 min read

January 16, 2025

Message from Brian: Mellody Hobson to retire from Starbucks Board

Mellody embodies the best of Starbucks and lives our mission and values, which isn’t surprising given her role in helping build and shape the company and our culture.

4 min read

January 9, 2025

Message from Brian: Evolving our mission

As we work to get "Back to Starbucks," it's important to be clear about who we are and the role we play in the world.

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