Tags: starbucks | significant | changes | company | structure

Starbucks Plans Layoffs, Big Changes to Company Structure

People having a break at Starbucks coffee shop
(Emilio100/Dreamstime)

Monday, 24 September 2018 04:00 PM EDT

Starbucks Corp., on a mission to move faster, is planning an organizational shakeup, including corporate layoffs.

“We must increase the velocity of innovation that is relevant to our customers, inspires our partners, and is meaningful to our business,” Chief Executive Officer Kevin Johnson said in a memo to employees viewed by Bloomberg News. “To accomplish this, we are going to make some significant changes to how we work as leaders in all areas of the company.”

The leadership and organizational changes will begin this week and carry on into November, Johnson said. He sent the email after the company held its quarterly town hall meeting in Seattle last week.

Contacted by Bloomberg News, a spokeswoman said the changes will entail an undetermined number of layoffs.

The coffee behemoth, now one of the world’s largest restaurant companies, is fighting back against fast-growing regional chains as demand wanes for its signature Frappuccinos. To counter this, Starbucks wants to speed the arrival of new menu items at its more than 28,000 cafes. It’s also pushing innovation in other areas including automating its back-of-store inventory system to reduce waste, and let staff spend more time with customers.

New Items

Starbucks in June added a strawberry Frappuccino and chorizo sous vide egg bites to its permanent menu. It has also added a non-dairy, plant-based cold brew drink made with almond butter. To boost afternoon traffic, the company has expanded its line of grab-and-go salads and sandwiches.

Starbucks (SBUX) is testing delivery, too. The chain earlier this month began working with UberEats in more than 100 locations in the Miami area. It’s also teamed up with Alibaba to offer the service in its quickly growing Chinese market this year.

The company said in July that comparable sales increased just 1 percent in its latest quarter -- far short of the rapid growth to which investors have become accustomed. Starbucks shares have been stagnant this year, compared with a 9.2 percent gain for the S&P 500 Index over the same period.

“We have opportunities to better prioritize and move faster,” Johnson said. “We must knock down the barriers in our decision making.”

© Copyright 2024 Bloomberg News. All rights reserved.


StreetTalk
Starbucks Corp., on a mission to move faster, is planning an organizational shakeup, including corporate layoffs.
starbucks, significant, changes, company, structure
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2018-00-24
Monday, 24 September 2018 04:00 PM
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