Starbucks CEO Brain Niccol has been focusing on a “Back to Starbucks” plan, and part of that will be to cut some employees in order to improve efficiency and decrease redundancy. Niccol recently wrote a letter to employees stating that the worldwide coffee giant needs to make sure all work that is being done has a clear and accountable owner that is making the decision. He wrote, “Our size and structure can slow us down, with too many layers, managers of small teams and roles focused primarily on coordinating work.”
This means that Starbucks will not affect baristas and on-site employees.. Their 16,000 corporate employees, especially managers, will likely be most impacted by this. This likely came as a result of the lack of sales ver the last year as many US customers decreased the spending on Starbucks for political reasons.
Will my Starbucks experience be different in 2025?
In addition to layoffs of corporate employees, Niccol also sated that “we have been enhancing the in-store experience with the return of the condiment bar, writing on cups, more ceramic mugs and a revised code of conduct” in an effort to create a “welcoming cofeehouse atmosphere.” The CEO is has removed added charges for non-dairy milk, and is aiming for a four-minute wait time for any given order. Lauren Silberman, an analyst of Deustche bank, called this change the “early innings” of Starbucks’ turnaround strategy. She expects to see great results from “better marketing, operations, and innovation.”
While the corporation is likely getting smaller employee wise, it seems that they are focusing more on customer experience. As a result, customer experience is likely to improve in 2025 as Starbucks plans to focus primarily on that. While it’s uncertain exactly what Starbucks will do, their focus to reduce wait times and make customers feel welcome will likely impact the overall atmosphere. With the ups and downs of the past, it will be interesting to see what changes Starbucks makes and how customer perceptions evolve as well. What do you think of all the changes Starbucks is making? Will they be positive or negative for customers? Let us know in the comments.
