Business Case Studies & Business Publications

Starbucks: Schultz Back in the Brew

Snell, Scott A., L...

Case

Starbucks: Schultz Back in the Brew

Snell, Scott A.; Lemley, Amy

OB-0970 | Published April 21, 2009 | 19 pages Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

Product Details

Can the return of its founding CEO turn a lagging Starbucks around? Howard Shultz must map a strategy that addresses the company's decreasing sales and perhaps too rapid growth. Had the previous CEO's efforts to streamline operations compromised the Starbucks experience or was a changing economy to blame? Schultz considers whether to close existing stores, slow U.S. growth while expanding overseas, and improve the customer experience, which he believed had eroded the company's value proposition.