Starbucks' 2018 store closure wave
Starbucks announced it would close 150 underperforming stores in the U.S., its largest closure wave in years. The company cited changing customer behavior and over-saturation in some markets.
The closures were part of a broader restructuring that included new store formats and expanded delivery.
Starbucks continued to grow overall but became more selective about locations, closing underperforming stores while opening new ones in better locations.
Shows that even the largest coffee chains close individual locations when the economics don't work, a pattern that applies to local roasters like Urban Sailor.
