North America: Starbucks has announced plans to shut down 250 stores by the end of this week as part of CEO Brian Niccol’s effort to improve service and strengthen the company’s financial performance.
The coffee chain said the affected locations were identified as stores where it could not consistently provide the experience expected by customers and employees, or where there was no clear route to acceptable financial results. The company has not disclosed which stores will close.
The closures account for about one percent of Starbucks’ nearly 18,000 locations across North America, which includes the United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica and the Caribbean.
The announcement has drawn criticism on Reddit, including from users claiming to be Starbucks employees. One alleged employee said their store received only one day’s notice. Another user wrote, “Closing with one-day notice is such an a**** move.”
The latest closures follow the shutdown of 627 stores in North America and Europe last year, alongside 900 non-retail job cuts.
Niccol became CEO in September 2024 amid challenges including a union dispute, difficulties in China, pressure on store operations from the mobile app and declining year-on-year sales.
