Starbucks is closing roughly 400 stores. Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg/Getty Images New York —
The days of a Starbucks on every corner seem to be coming to an end.
For years, Starbucks staked its reputation on its ability to expand relentlessly in cities and suburbs. Comedian Lewis Black even riffed in 2001 that the “end of the universe” was in Houston, Texas, where he found one Starbucks directly across the street from another.
But both the universe – and Starbucks – have changed since then. More competition, inflation and consumer shifts have hurt Starbucks’ bottom line.
Starbucks announced Thursday that it will close 1% of its stores in North America this month. The closures – and layoffs of 900 corporate employees – are part of a $1 billion restructuring plan. Starbucks CEO Bri