RISE - Menu Monitor

Starbucks Corp. plans to move into Argentina in 2008. The company has signed a joint-venture agreement with Alsea S.A. de
C.V. to form Café Sirena S.R.L. The new venture will operate Starbucks locations throughout Argentina, with the first unit
slated to open in Buenos Aires in the second half of fiscal 2008. The joint venture will also further develop the Starbucks brand
in Chile. (QSRmagazine.com 11/16/07)
Starbucks plans to open 100 stores in the U.K. and Ireland in 2008, 25% more than it opened in 2007. The company is also
considering selling its frappuccinos in supermarkets. (Timesonline.co.uk 11/21/07)
Starbucks plans to add more than 80 new stores in Greater China before the end of its fiscal year in late September of 2008.
The coffee chain has set a goal of opening more stores in the current year than were opened in the previous year. In its last
fiscal year, Starbucks opened 80 units in Greater China. It currently has 300 stores in China and close to 15,000 locations
worldwide. In addition, Starbucks is now offering its bottled Frappaccino coffee drinks in its Chinese stores. The product’s
introduction is the result of a joint venture between Starbucks and PepsiCo, which has extensive beverage distribution
channels in China. (Market Watch Online 11/1/07; Yahoo! Finance 11/1/07)
Starbucks is planning to open a farmer-support center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2008. The center’s goal will be to help
growers improve the quality of their coffees and to boost production using sustainable practices. Starbucks has a similar
center in Costa Rica. In addition, Starbucks plans to intensify its promotion of Ethiopian coffees in 2008. (Smartbrief.com
11/28/07, IHT.com 11/28/07)
Technology |
Starbucks introduced a service that allows U.S. customers to get the address of the chain’s closest location by text messaging.
Patrons can text the zip code of their current location to “MYSBUX” from a cell phone. PDA customers with web-enabled
phone or handheld computers can also go the company website to get the address. (NRN Daily NewsFax 3/07/07; Mercury
News 3/08/07)
Starbucks is partnering with Apple to offer free wireless browsing, previewing and downloading of music from the iTunes Wi-Fi
Music Store using iPods, iPhones or any computer with iTunes software. The service will begin in October at New York and
Seattle Starbucks locations, and will expand to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and additional markets in2008. Music
prices will stay the same as those in the regular iTunes store, but Starbucks will no longer require a connection fee.
(MediaPost Publications 9/6/07)
Personnel |
Jim Donald, CEO
Martin Coles, COO
Launi Skinner, V.P. of Development
Peter Bocian, E.V.P./ CFO
Dorothy J. Kim, V.P. of Supply Chain Operations
Starbucks hired Peter Bocian as chief financial officer. Previously, Bocian served as senior vice president and chief financial
officer for NCR, a computer-services provider. (Associated Press 4/3/07)
Starbucks hired Martin Coles as Chief Operating Officer. Previously, Coles served as President for Starbucks Coffee
International. Coles will bring global expertise as the company expands in the next four to five years. (Company Release
7/17/07)
News & Other |
Starbucks has denied claim of ownership to any regional names used to describe its coffees and claims that it never filed an
opposition to the Ethiopian government’s trademark. The company prides itself on being a positive force to the Ethiopian
coffee farmer. (Company Release 10/26/06)
Starbucks reported for the fourth quarter ended October 1 net earnings fell 5.2% to $117.3 million. Revenues increased 20.7%
to $2 billion. (NRN Daily NewsFax 11/17/06)
©Technomic Information Services 2007, CIS profiles may not be copied or distributed in any print or electronic format without a license or written consent.
Technomic believes that its sources of information are reliable, but does not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy of the information
published.
622