How Starbucks has picked up steam again
LA TimesA Starbucks coffee shop in Beijing last year. Same-store sales in China alone, where Starbucks has been aggressively opening thousands of outlets, fell slightly during last year’s spring quarter as competition grew. And Starbucks’ management — led by Chief Executive Kevin Johnson, who took over two years ago from longtime CEO Howard Schultz — had produced quarterly results that sometimes fell short of Wall Street forecasts. “In the last year, we’ve reduced from seven to three steps to place an order” on the app, Patrick Grismer, Starbucks’ chief financial officer, told analysts this year. “Customers are digitally savvy and expect higher levels of convenience,” Johnson told analysts Thursday, adding that an effective app produces “more frequent occasions, increased spend, improved customer retention and marketing efficiency.” The growth of Starbucks’ Rewards loyalty program shows a sharp rise in people formally making the chain a regular part of their lives.