Starbucks Opens its 6,000th Store in China

Starbucks pins their recovery on a strong domestic consumer and a China recovery

While the world moves on from the events of 2020 and the pandemic fades through the rear-view mirror, a cluster of fallout still clings to Starbucks, the world’s largest coffee retailer. The operational stress of the pandemic, as well as concerns over in-store safety¹, catalysed demand for unionisation in the company’s most integral market, the United States. Since the first store won its union vote in Buffalo, New York, in December 2021, over 330 stores in 38 states have filed for an election, yielding more than 250 successfully unionised stores. Union contagion is small in comparison to the 15,900 stores Starbucks operate & licence across the US, but the ripple effect is tangible; prompting the company to reinvest upwards of $1 billion in employee wages & training, as well as implementing a range of additional benefits² as they look to appeal to green apron partners. Just two months ago, Starbucks unveiled a “Reinvention Plan” at their Investor Day³ which for all intents and purposes s…