Starbucks

Name

Starbucks

Legal name

Starbucks Corporation

Website

https://starbucks.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Coffeehouse Retail

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes (THAFADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA), RTD Coffee Production (Non-Dairy/Non-Alcoholic) (AFAFABAE), Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Beverage Wholesale (AFAIAGAD)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee retail
• Coffeehouse chain
• Ready-to-drink beverages
• Mobile food ordering
• Loyalty rewards program

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Company-Operated Store Sales: Starbucks generates the majority of revenue from company-operated retail stores selling coffee beverages, food, and merchandise directly to consumers. The company operates 21,514 company-operated stores globally.
2. Licensed Store Revenue: Revenue from licensed stores operated by partners including royalties, licensing fees, and equipment/supplies sales. Starbucks has 19,476 licensed locations globally.
3. Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Products: Nestlé partnership produces and distributes Starbucks-branded ready-to-drink coffee products (Frappuccinos, Doubleshots) in retail stores across Southeast Asia, Oceania, Latin America, with exploration of Indian market.
4. E-commerce and Merchandise: Starbucks sells merchandise including drinkware, apparel, brewing equipment, and packaged coffee through shop.starbucks.com and physical stores, including subscription coffee services.
5. C.A.F.E. Practices Sustainability Program: Sustainable coffee sourcing program supporting farmers worldwide through Farmer Support Centers and Global Farmer Fund, investing $200 million in coffee sustainability and sourcing 99%+ of coffee from verified supply chains.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Starbucks is the world's leading specialty coffeehouse operator, running more than 41,000 locations across 80+ markets and selling handcrafted coffee, espresso, cold beverages, tea, juices, food items, and branded merchandise. The company generates revenue through company-operated retail stores, licensed store royalties, an e-commerce shop, a subscription coffee service, and ready-to-drink (RTD) products distributed globally through its long-standing partnership with Nestlé.

Product overview

Starbucks operates a multi-format retail coffeehouse business with physical store locations (Classic Café, Drive-Thru, Starbucks Reserve), digital services (Mobile Order and Pay, Delivery via third-party partners), and a loyalty ecosystem (Starbucks Rewards with three membership tiers). The company also offers e-commerce through the Starbucks Shop for at-home coffee products, merchandise, and subscriptions. Core revenue comes from company-operated and licensed retail stores, with technology investments focused on AI-powered operational automation and customer personalization. The 'Back to Starbucks' turnaround strategy under CEO Brian Niccol emphasizes operational excellence, labor investments, and menu innovation to drive comparable store sales growth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Starbucks Reserve: Premium coffee experiences and specialty Roastery locations featuring exclusive Starbucks Reserve coffees, signature cocktails, and decadent dishes.
• Starbucks Rewards
• Starbucks Card
• Unicorn Frappuccino

Quantifiable outcome

• Global comparable store sales grew 6.2% in Q2 FY2026, recovering from 1% decline
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability9 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• Dandy WorldwideminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 July 2026Limited-edition merchandise collaboration with Southern California-based outerwear brand Dandy Worldwide launching July 28, featuring reusable bottles, thermoses, and hats inspired by Dandy's 'Road Trip' hoodie. Launches alongside new Orange Cream beverage.
• DisneyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 July 2026Disney Store releasing limited-edition Starbucks-branded Haunted Mansion travel tumbler on July 10, featuring iconic watchful-eye wallpaper pattern with sculpted candelabra topper and embossed siren medallion. Previous similar tumbler sold out in 15-20 minutes.
• Alshaya GroupmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 July 2026Alshaya Group operates Starbucks locations in the Middle East including the UAE. Recent activities include partnership with Dubai Club of Determination to sponsor the 10th edition of its Summer Activities programme running until July 30, 2026, welcoming 220 members daily.
• Amazon (Get Blue Initiative)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Amazon joined as founding partner for Get Blue, a global movement launched at World Economic Forum in Davos to support Water.org. Amazon Alexa users can trigger $5 company-funded donations. Starbucks, Gap, Ecolab are also founding partners, aiming to help Water.org reach 200 million people with safe water access by 2030.
• 23.5 DegreesmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 15 October 2024Starbucks acquired 23.5 Degrees, its largest UK licensed business partner, adding approximately 113 stores and 1,650 employees. The acquisition increases company-operated locations in the UK to nearly 500, aiming to enhance investment, store experience, and innovation.
• NestlécoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2018Global coffee partnership established in 2018 where Nestlé produces and distributes Starbucks-branded ready-to-drink coffee products (Frappuccinos, Doubleshots) in retail stores across Southeast Asia, Oceania, and Latin America. Nestlé is also exploring the Indian market for Starbucks RTD products. Starbucks operates over 470 stores in India separately through a different 50:50 joint venture with Tata Consumer Products.
• Tata Consumer Products / Tata Starbucks Private LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 201250:50 joint venture between Starbucks Coffee Company and Tata Consumer Products for India operations. Starbucks entered India in early 2013 with first 11 outlets in metropolitan cities. Tata Starbucks operates over 470 stores across major cities in India, with recent expansion including a third Starbucks Reserve destination in Delhi NCR at World St., Aerocity.
• DoorDashminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelivery partner enabling Starbucks mobile delivery from participating US stores. DoorDash Consumer Terms and Conditions apply to deliveries. Prices may be higher than posted in stores.
• GrubhubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelivery partner enabling Starbucks mobile delivery from participating US stores.
• Uber EatsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelivery partner enabling Starbucks mobile delivery from participating US stores. Available in participating locations only with fees subject to change.
• AlibabamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStarbucks partnered with Alibaba to enhance delivery services in China, where it operated 7,596 stores as of 2024 making it the company's second-largest global market. Alibaba partnership supports digital retail operations and delivery expansion.
• Carmencita (Spain)minorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSpanish spice and seasoning manufacturer with active partnership with Starbucks for coffee spices. Carmencita holds 60% market share in Spanish spice market by volume and operates across more than 70 countries.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Costa Coffee: Costa Coffee (owned by Coca-Cola) is a direct peer in UK and international coffee chain retail, operating thousands of stores with a comparable café-plus-packaged-coffee model and competing directly with Starbucks in EMEA.
• Luckin Coffee: Luckin Coffee is a direct peer and aggressive Chinese coffee chain competitor that has overtaken Starbucks in China store count, offering heavily discounted digital-first coffee via a small-store, mobile-order-heavy model.
• Peet's Coffee: Peet's Coffee (owned by JDE Peet's) is a direct peer in premium and specialty coffee retail in the US, with a similar café format, packaged coffee wholesale, and foodservice distribution comparable to Starbucks.
• Dunkin': Dunkin' (owned by Inspire Brands) is the largest direct competitor to Starbucks in the US coffee and breakfast chain category, operating thousands of franchised locations with a similar beverage-led model, loyalty program, and digital ordering capabilities.
• Dutch Bros Coffee: Dutch Bros is a publicly-traded direct peer in the US drive-thru coffee segment, competing with Starbucks on speed, value, and customization, with rapid unit growth and a younger-skewing loyalty program.
• Tim Hortons: Tim Hortons (owned by Restaurant Brands International) is a direct peer operating coffee and food chain locations concentrated in Canada and expanding globally, with comparable coffee-and-bakery menu and drive-thru-heavy store model.

Emerging players

• Blue Bottle Coffee: Blue Bottle Coffee (owned by Nestl) is an emerging premium/specialty coffee player overlapping with Starbucks Reserve, focused on single-origin third-wave coffee experiences with limited but high-end café locations.
• Cotti Coffee: Cotti Coffee is an emerging Chinese coffee chain competitor rapidly expanding with discount pricing and franchise model, intensifying competitive pressure on Starbucks' China store economics and growth.

Broad incumbents

• McDonald's (McCafe): McDonald's is a broad incumbent in foodservice that competes with Starbucks through McCafe beverage offerings and breakfast daypart, leveraging a far larger global footprint and pricing advantage as a substitute for premium coffee occasions.

Others

• Nestl (We Proudly Serve Starbucks): Nestl is an ecosystem partner and adjacent major coffee manufacturer that produces Starbucks-branded RTD products globally and operates 'We Proudly Serve Starbucks' office/foodservice coffee, making it a comparable coffee category player with both partnership and competitive overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• TikToktiktok.com/@starbucks
• Instagraminstagram.com/starbucks
• Xx.com/Starbucks
• Facebookfacebook.com/Starbucks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/starbucks

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A6 records

Investments10 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Starbucks