Happy holidays! As National Coffee Day comes to a close, it feels most appropriate to top off this rush of energy one might be feeling from the holiday festivities with weekly dose of Starbucks news. This week, the corporation indulged in EU Tax Cases, Chinese franchising debates, and another themed drink that is fitting for the fall season.

Wall Street Journal has recently been following a case in the European Union (EU) that targets Starbucks’ illegal interference in the Netherlands. After thoroughly analyzing the documents provided, the court decided that “Starbucks did not benefit from the illegal aid in its tax dealings in the Netherlands” (as stated by Valentina Pop in this WSJ Article). The publicity gained by this case could be a significant factor in the performance of the company’s stock over the past week, but it also serves as a sign for future cases that deal with similar topics. However, I see this case as a setback for the corporation because it loses the client’s trust. Without this trust, Starbucks could potentially lose their fan base. On the contrary side, the common saying of “no publicity is bad publicity” could also apply to this scenario, but only time will reveal the truth to this statement.

Another important story has to deal with the emergence of protests and boycotts against the Starbucks industry in Hong Kong, pictured below.

These protests originated over unrest in Maxim’s, the company that Starbucks pairs with in Hong Kong. Many people are calling for Starbucks to cut off it’s franchising deal with Maxim’s because of some criticisms made about the company, and the protests are beginning to reach better-known individuals in the community. If Starbucks were to pull out of this deal, there would be significant repercussions on both sides. According to released financial information, Maxim’s makes up a significant part of the Hong Kong business world, meaning that Starbucks has an equally significant role. I think that Starbucks should wait to see if the protests diminish before taking their next step in this process, but other than that aspect, the fate of this conflict is unpredictable.

Lastly, there has been another development in the spooky spirit for Starbucks drinks. This leaves the company on a brighter note, giving us a true reason to celebrate National Coffee Day. A common favorite in the Halloween movie genre is The Nightmare Before Christmas, and a new drink floating around on the Starbucks Secret Menu is modeled after main character Jack Skellington, a product that I think will be more delightful than last week’s development.

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For the last set of festivities for National Coffee Day, it is only customary to end the article with a look at the stock, which has continued to experience a downward slope, and my weekly drink recommendation. For my recommendation, I suggest a much simpler drink that will both quench your thirst from the heat wave we are expecting on Wednesday and refresh your spirits halfway through a day of work: a peach green tea lemonade. This drink combines so many flavors that it leaves a sweet, yet satisfying taste after the last sip. With that comment, I leave this article with a picture of the stock and my sources. Happy caffeinating!

• Sources:
• https://quotes.wsj.com/SBUX
• https://www.wsj.com/articles/eu-court-sides-with-starbucks-in-tax-case-11569314810
• https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-09-29/starbucks-china-strategy-tested-by-hong-kong-protests
• https://www.bustle.com/p/how-to-order-starbucks-jack-skellington-frappuccino-off-the-secret-menu-18808415

This week, the friendliest coffee franchise that normally greets visitors with a captivating green mermaid took a turn towards the spookiest season with some new drink innovations as well as some new service innovations.

Anticipating the release of the next big horror film, Starbucks began marketing a new frappuccino to pay homage to one of the creepiest clowns on the silver screen–Pennywise from It. Now that It: Chapter 2 is approaching its release, baristas have frequently been adapting the traditional vanilla bean frappuccino to entice customers to try this new beverage.

As pictured above, the drink features a strawberry puree to look like blood. While the drink may appear complex, it simply features a vanilla bean frappuccino, and the strawberry addition just adds a sweet bit of fruity flavor to liven up the drink. I think this drink is an excellent marketing strategy. Starbucks dominates the industry of iced coffee and cold brew, most of which targets younger teenagers and young adults. This age range is also the target age range of It: Chapter Two, and this will bring in customers who are fans of the movie franchise and curious customers who are interested in trying a new drink from their favorite daily coffee place.

Another Starbucks feature talks about the debut of a new “Starbucks Pickup” location in New York City. This new development will be for Starbucks Rewards customers who plan to skip the line, order online, and pick up their order at a booth. These locations do not offer seating for guests, so they are exclusive to mobile rewards members. Once again, I think this is a smart play on Starbucks’s behalf. They gain more rewards members since most people who live in the city want to minimize the time they spend in line before their lengthy commute to work. It will make Starbucks the more popular option for people who value efficiency over the entire coffee shop experience since other companies do not offer a similar option.

As a final update on the company’s performance in the past week, below is a recap of the rise and fall of the stocks from Monday to Friday.

The stock has declined from last week, starting with a negative slope on Monday and then reaching an incline from Tuesday the 17th until the end of the day on Thursday the 19th. However, the stock appears to have continued to drop throughout the day on Friday the 20th, and it will be interesting to see how the stock changes in the upcoming week.

Continuing on my tradition of weekly drink recommendations, this week I recommend one last taste of summer before the temperatures begin to drop into fall. The weather seems to be favoring the 80-90 degree range for the next week, so I suggest that you should chill off with a very berry hibiscus refresher. Some choose to add lemonade to this drink to add more of a fruity mix to the beverage, and it has a very limited amount of caffeine along with many berries to enjoy in the drink. With that, I look forward to writing to you next week.

• Sources:
• https://www.delish.com/food-news/a29111935/starbucks-it-chapter-two-frappuccino/
• https://www.foodandwine.com/news/starbucks-pickup-store-penn-station-nyc
• https://quotes.wsj.com/SBUX

Welcome back to my blog! This week, stories featured Starbucks for a variety of fundamental changes to the organization, but before diving into their appearances in daily news cycles, I first would like to pay attention to the company’s stock over the last week. The rise and fall of the stock is pictured below.

Now that we have looked at the stock’s performance this past week, there are other important stories to address.

First, Starbucks disclosed more information following an inquisition by the SEC from 2018. Starbucks was one of the 208 companies who received a letter questioning their revenue-recognition process, specifically in reference to their gift cards and a recent deal they made with Nestle. The SEC wants more information about how much profit the company plans to claim from unused gift cards and more information on how Starbucks collaborated with Nestle after Nestle paid $7 billion to sell Starbucks products in their stores. All of these letters to Starbucks from the SEC took place over previous inquisitions, but the SEC regulator deemed the matter resolved recently, and all of the requests are being released to the public following this resolution.

Another key article that featured the coffee brand with the green mermaid logo summarizes findings from a Guggenheim analyst report that examines the world of the coffee industry. While the article identifies interesting facts about coffee consumers–such as the fact that 91% of coffee drinkers consume it on a daily basis–the article inspects the dominance of Starbucks in the coffee industry. Calling the company the “queen of coffee,” Guggenheim recognizes that the company has products in almost every line of the caffeinated beverage spectrum, but its specialization in cold brew and iced coffee allows the company to be especially popular in young adults. For these reasons, it is obvious that Starbucks is a dominant force in the coffee industry.

As a final important figment of information for this week, three new members joined the Starbucks Board of Directors:

The new board members are Andy Campion, Isabel Ge Mahe, and Ritch E Allison, Jr (pictured left to right). The three board members bring experience from Nike, Apple, and Dominoes Pizza respectively. With this addition, the board increases to 13 members.

Before my departure from this week’s post, I have another drink recommendation: a double chocolate chip frappucino. This drink is definitely on the sweeter side–definitely for chocolate lovers–and it is decaffeinated. I would recommend this to someone as a starter drink for their Starbucks experience, if you have never been there before. Enjoy this drink, and enjoy the sources below for more information about the stories I mentioned this week!

• SBUX Stock Price
• SEC Questions Starbucks About Revenue-Recognition Policy
• Starbucks, Dunkin’ Brands, and Nestle Could Get Jolt With New Customers
• Starbucks Announces Three New Appointments to Board of Directors

The first step to truly enjoying a cup of coffee is knowing where it came from–how the beans were harvested, what country they came from, and even how they roast the beans to make a 12 ounce cup of liquid energy. Today, I am doing the same thing with the prospering company known as Starbucks; I am finding out where its beans originated before following the rest of the company’s journey through the stock exchange.

The earliest seed of the corporation dates back to 1971 at a small market in Seattle. It started as a small store in Pike Place Market, and it only sold a small variety of coffee and tea to Seattle pedestrians. As pictured below, this location diverges from the image we hold of a modern Starbucks store, but it shows the authenticity and the foundation of this American-born coffee company.

Since its humble beginnings, Starbucks has grown to include many new options on the menu. While sticking true to its coffee roots, the company has expanded to sell pastries, create premium teas, and invent new delicacies such as the Frappuccino–a signature, blended beverage. The most valuable product of Starbucks, however, is the environment that it produced. The location is seen by many as a study-spot or a meeting-place for a quick snack instead of an elaborate meal. It markets itself as a “neighborhood gathering place.” This particular byproduct of the company has been the most difficult to replicate by other coffee companies, making it a standout in its field.

Staying true to its original roots, the company’s headquarters remains in Seattle under the leadership of CEO Kevin Johnson (pictured below).

The company experienced its fair share of scandals and headlining stories. The latest story deals with former CEO Howard Schultz, as many predicted that he would run in the 2020 presidential election. Schultz made significant changes to the Starbucks company that created the brand that we know and love today. For more information about his status in the election, click here to access a Wall Street Journal article about his latest announcement about his involvement.

I chose this company because like many other members of my generation, I have fallen for Starbucks’ advertising techniques. I joined the bandwagon to become a dedicated customer (and I refuse to call myself an addict because of my ability to function without daily caffeine intake). Therefore, I feel like it would be in my best interest to follow a company that makes me feel like part of the community. I definitely would work for this company because of its current social initiatives and its prevalence in our culture. Additionally, I would most likely invest in this stock, seeing its been on a steady incline for the last couple of years.

Before parting from this blog with a link to more information about the founding of the company, I want to start a tradition of leaving a recommendation for the next time you visit your local Starbucks. For this post, I would recommend my personal favorite drink: an iced chai tea latte with vanilla. Thank you for following my journey through the roots of the Starbucks corporation by finding out the origins of this cup of coffee this week. Happy caffienating!

https://www.starbucks.com/about-us/company-information

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