Starbucks Closing 400 Stores While Expanding Takeout
Starbucks has become a daily stop for many of us over the years. The future of Starbucks could look quite different, though.
I don't know about you, but I can say without a doubt that I know too many people to name that literally count on Starbucks to get through the day. Personally, I've never been much of a coffee guy, but I have so many friends that absolutely need their Starbucks fill on the daily.
This week, Starbucks announced plans that could change things for those in the Ark-La-Tex who include a trip to Starbucks on the daily calendar.
The coffee giant announced this week that they plan to close 400 locations over the next year and a half. I'm sure part of that is naturally due to COVID-19. No business is safe from the ramifications of the pandemic. Also, according to Starbucks, this is part of a larger plan to change the shift of how their business operates in many cities across the U.S.
While closing 400 stores in 18 months sounds scary, don't fret, they also plan on opening 300 stores focus primarily on pick-up and carryout.
In the company's announcement, they say, "This repositioning will include the closure of up to 400 company-operated stores over the next 18 months in conjunction with the opening, over time, of a greater number of new, repositioned stores in different locations and with innovative store formats."
So while it is bad news to see 400 Starbucks stores closing around the nation, we should wait and see how it all works out because chances are, we won't lose the Starbucks so many of us crave right here in the Ark-La-Tex.