#starbucks

#starbucks

Americans are drinking more coffee than they have in decades. But fewer of them are getting it from Starbucks. The company that revolutionized the United States' coffee culture remains America's biggest player, with nearly 17,000 U.S. stores and plans to open hundreds more. But it's facing unprecedented competition, which will make it harder to win back the customers it already lost.

Starbucks has undergone its fair share of changes since opening in 1971, expanding from a small Seattle coffee shop into a global caffeine empire. There was the invention of the Pumpkin Spice Latte, the introduction of breakfast sandwiches, and even the addition of new coffee roasts, all of which appealed to customers in one way or another. A recent change that didn't resonate well with customers? The removal of the self-serve condiment bar, but luckily, this was reversed rather quickly.

The coffee giant hit the ground running with its annual yuletide campaign Nov. 1. In a nod to the adult coloring book craze, this year's cups feature hints of red and green, but are mostly black-and-white, encouraging customers to fill in the stylized trees, ornaments, and gifts with the hues of their choice. However, it's the commercial for this year's holiday campaign, titled "Give Good," that's generating the most buzz.

Starbucks fans take note: You can stay in your jammies, skip the drive-through, and enjoy some of the brand's most iconic beverages in the comfort of your own home. Hot drinks, cold drinks, beverage enhancers, fruity juices, Starbucks has something for everyone. The popular coffee chain has been winning the hearts of java enthusiasts since 1971, and its success has grown exponentially ever since. In fact, the company reported sales of $37.2 billion in 2025. That's a lot of thirst quenching.

In addition to accusations of labor and human rights violations on the coffee farms that Starbucks partners with, the lawsuit also alleges that testing has found toxic substances in its Decaf House Blend medium roast coffee. The substances supposedly include methylene chloride, benzene, and toluene. The lawsuit says the presence of these chemicals violates Starbuck's labels of "100% Arabica coffee." More importantly, each are considered volatile organic compounds and are unsafe for human consumption at the levels allegedly detected.

Starbucks said on Tuesday that it had conducted an investigation of the incident and had fired the employee who had handed over the coffee cup at the drive-thru window, even though the investigation found that the drawing was not intentionally meant to be offensive. Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson said the drawing of a popular meme, John Pork, was created in the morning, hours before the deputy visited the coffee shop.

"If you don't like customer service, you're probably not going to like working at Starbucks. We're in that transition of getting people to understand that," Niccol said. "When I saw that in the Reddit thread, I was like, 'OK, we're making progress on what the standard of services that we want [are].'"

and when preparing an order, nothing complicates it more than drinks with seven or more customizations. From alternative milks and sugar free syrups, to specific numbers of pumps to additional shots of espresso - the amount of changes you're able to make to any single drink from Starbucks is fairly extensive. With some clever ordering, however, you can ensure that the many changes you need aren't overwhelming for your barista.

Within a white hot chocolate order, expect some of the usual tasting notes of a quality hot chocolate pour, except the white chocolate drink offers an extra creamy consistency. On the app or in your local store, look to modify a typical hot chocolate by asking for no mocha or mocha drizzle and swap it out with white mocha sauce.

Starbucks has poached a senior manager from E.l.f. Cosmetics as part of its ongoing quest to re-energize the Starbucks brand through cultural collaborations. Neiv Toledano has joined Starbucks as its senior marketing manager of fashion and beauty. While Starbucks has always had employees who have worked on collaborations, including in the fashion and beauty spaces, this is a first-of-its-kind dedicated role and a signal that Starbucks is placing a bigger premium on these types of partnerships.

I didn't think college was going to be an option because of how much it costs with loans and things like that,

The average share of private label spend rose from 19% in Q1 to 22% in Q3 this year, with store brand coffee purchases ranking #1 at club stores. Starbucks took the top spot at grocery and mass stores, such as Walmart and Target, and ranked #2 at club and dollar stores, showing that consumers still prefer their name-brand coffee when they can afford to splurge.

In 1983, Howard Schultz was an employee of Starbucks, a small chain of coffee stores that mainly sold beans (and no drinks), when he was sent to Milan for a trade show. As Schultz observed Italians visiting their local cafés, he loved what he saw, describing it as a " sense of community, a real sense of connection between the barista and the customer."

Released in China for the 2025 holiday season, the Starbucks Retro Digital Camera comes with dual sensors, vintage filters, and a design aesthetic borrowed from classic rangefinder cameras. At 198 yuan (roughly $28), it undercuts almost every digital camera on the market while offering features like proper selfie framing through its rear sensor and Y2K photo overlays. The metal-and-leather construction in burgundy-gold or green-silver colorways suggests Starbucks contracted with an established camera manufacturer rather than creating novelty electronics from scratch.

As the world worried about the impending "doom" of Y2K, in 1999, Starbucks was busy focusing on future growth. It had opened a record 625 new stores that year and forged a new partnership with Target, which was also rapidly expanding at the same time. The two chains entered a licensing agreement for the megastore to sell Starbucks products, as well as have actual Starbucks cafes brewing up new business near the front of the house.

When Starbucks opened its first store in Beijing in 1999, it wasn't just selling coffee; it was selling Western aspirations to China's rising middle class. The Seattle-based giant expanded rapidly to dominate China's premium coffee scene. That early-mover advantage has, however, since eroded. Chinese competitors like Luckin Coffee and Manner have overtaken Starbucks in store count and captured market share, thanks to aggressive pricing, mobile integration and a sharper understanding of Chinese consumer habits.

Niccol was expected to be a turnaround artist due to his track record at Taco Bell and Chipotle. His magic at Starbucks has been a line of statements primarily about how Starbucks might return to its roots as a community coffeehouse where baristas are friendly and well-dressed. When people order, their orders will come fast. The baristas will remember people's names.

Coffee chain Starbucks released a $43.95 "Bearista" glass cold cup Thursday as part of its new holiday collection, and not only did the hat-topped tumbler sell out almost immediately, but videos circulating online show customers fighting each other to get their paws on one. Empty-handed fans who lined up before dawn are sharing their outrage on social media, re-sellers are listing them for as much as $1,400 on eBay,

Starbucks unveiled on Wednesday its "Bearista Cold Cup," selling for $29.95. The item sold out within hours, with some customers complaining of people in line shoving one another to stake a claim over the product. Some able to buy the Bearista cup have taken to reselling it online, with many cups going for more than $300-even up to an eye-popping $50,000.

Yes, it's true! In a world where protein powders and boosters have creeped into our most common, beloved foods (pancakes, cookies, and chips, to name a few), Starbucks hopped on the protein train and released protein lattes and cold brews on September 29, 2025, and the internet has been talking about them since. The drinks feature whey protein isolate, which is unflavored, gluten-free, and derived from cow's milk.

According to Starbucks' website, the Glass Starbucks Bearista Cold Cup is a glass vessel intended for the chain's cold drinks. In addition to helpfully keeping your iced lattes or matchas chilly, this cup is shaped to look like a bear - a gummy bear, really. It's wearing a green Starbucks-branded beanie, which holds a striped reusable straw. At $29.95, it's easy to see the Bearista cup's collectible and giftable appeal.

There was a time when the Starbucks cake pops were having a viral moment, but sadly they no longer live up to their heyday for a few reasons. First, the quality just isn't there. When we ranked 17 Starbucks pastries, the cake pop nearly came in last place thanks to bland, one-note flavors and underwhelming sweetness. The second reason Starbucks cake pops leave something to be desired is because they aren't great value.