Starbucks plans to lay off 1,100 corporate employees globally as new Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol streamlines operations. (Shutterstock)

- Starbucks plans to lay off 1,100 corporate employees globally as new Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol streamlines operations.
- “Our intent is to operate more efficiently, increase accountability, reduce complexity and drive better integration,” Niccol says.
- Southwest Airlines said last week it was eliminating 1,750 jobs, or 15% of its corporate workforce.
Share
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Starbucks plans to lay off 1,100 corporate employees globally as new Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol streamlines operations.
In a letter to employees released Monday, Niccol said the company will inform employees who are being laid off by midday Tuesday. Niccol said Starbucks is also eliminating several hundred open and unfilled positions.
“Our intent is to operate more efficiently, increase accountability, reduce complexity and drive better integration,” Niccol wrote in the letter.
Starbucks has 16,000 corporate support employees worldwide, but that includes some employees who aren’t impacted, like roasting and warehouse staff. Baristas in the company’s stores — who make up most of the company’s 361,000 employees worldwide — are not included in the layoffs.
Related Story: Hanging Out at Starbucks Will Cost You as Company Reverses Its Open-Door Policy
Big Companies Trim Workforces
Starbucks’ layoffs come as other big companies make similar moves. Southwest Airlines said last week it was eliminating 1,750 jobs, or 15% of its corporate workforce, in the first major layoffs in the company’s 53-year history. And last month, tire maker Bridgestone Americas closed a plant in LaVergne, Tennessee, and laid off 700 workers there.
Starbucks hired Niccol last fall to turn around sluggish sales. He has said he wants to improve service times — especially during the morning rush — and reestablish stores as community gathering places.
Niccol is also cutting items from Starbucks’ menu and experimenting with its ordering algorithms to better handle its mix of mobile, drive-thru and in-store orders.
Starbucks’ global same-store sales, or sales at locations open at least a year, fell 2% in its 2024 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 29. In the U.S., customers tired of price increases and growing wait times. In China, its second-largest market, Starbucks faced growing competition from cheaper rivals.
However, in its most recent quarter, the company topped most sales expectations after Niccol made changes that were visible to customers, such as the decision to stop charging extra for non-dairy milk.
Starbucks shares rose less than 2% Monday.
RELATED TOPICS:
Former US Army Soldier Pleads Guilty in Phone Company Hacking, Extortion Case
15 hours ago
Fresno City Attorney Briefly Ineligible to Practice Law, Cites State Bar Error
15 hours ago
Grass Fire East of Sanger Contained at 21 Acres, CalFire Says
15 hours ago
Age Is Just a Number: 80-Year-Old Conquers Death Valley to Mt. Whitney Ultramarathon
15 hours ago
What to Know About the Epstein Files, a Perfect Recipe for Conspiracy Theories
15 hours ago
Mexico Pledges Action Should US Talks Fail by August Tariff Deadline
16 hours ago
Fresno Police Arrest Armed Man Found Asleep in Car
16 hours ago
Madera County Authorities Seeks Help Finding Missing Bass Lake Man
18 hours ago

Fresno Man Found Dead After Hike Near Courtright Reservoir

Former US Army Soldier Pleads Guilty in Phone Company Hacking, Extortion Case

Fresno City Attorney Briefly Ineligible to Practice Law, Cites State Bar Error

Grass Fire East of Sanger Contained at 21 Acres, CalFire Says

Age Is Just a Number: 80-Year-Old Conquers Death Valley to Mt. Whitney Ultramarathon

What to Know About the Epstein Files, a Perfect Recipe for Conspiracy Theories
