“Let there be coffee,” and there was … Starbucks.
It was 1971 in the historic Pike Place Market in Seattle, USA when the soon-to-be-phenomenal brand began transforming the way the world drank coffee. Starbucks practically created the idea of a third location between home and work where people can sit back, enjoy a cup of coffee, and revel in the engaging ambiance.
Many agree that Starbucks educated America on how to appreciate coffee and is now doing the same with the rest of the world. This time, let these Starbucks statistics teach us about its colorful story, vibrant history, and promising future.
Starbucks Statistics Table of Contents
- Industry & Starbucks Statistics
- International Operations & Starbucks Statistics
- Unique Operations & Starbucks Statistics
- Branding & Starbucks Statistics
- Menu & Starbucks Statistics
- Employment & Starbucks Statistics
- CSR & Starbucks Statistics
- Supply Chain & Starbucks Statistics
- Sustainability Timeline Starbucks Statistics
- Technology Use & Starbucks Statistics
- Social Media & Starbucks Statistics
- Covid-19 Pandemic & Starbucks Statistics
Industry & Starbucks Statistics
America is famous for many things coffee, including its world-class brands like Dunkin’ Donuts, Seattle’s Best, Caribou, and Peet’s. But one brand had successfully brought the coffee business to an entirely new level, separating itself from the rest: Starbucks.
- Starbucks was the largest coffee shop chain in the US with 15,149 stores as of September 2019
- The coffee shop giant currently operates with a total of 31,256 locations across the world
- On average, Starbucks has opened two new stores every day since 1987
- Its top competitor, Dunkin, has 10,132 stores in the US as of April 2020
- In 2019, the market for the US coffee shop industry reached $47.5 billion
- The industry grew by 3.3% year-on-year
- For 2019, Starbucks generated over $21 billion in sales in the US alone, more than half of its closest competitor
Starbucks Dunkin Donuts Tim Hortons Dutch Bros. Coffee Peet's Coffee & Tea Caribou Coffee The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Biggby Coffee Source: restaurantbusinessonline.com 2020Sales of Leading Coffee Houses and Cafe Chains, US 2019
(In million US dollars)
Starbucks: 21380
Dunkin Donuts: 9299
Tim Hortons: 714
Dutch Bros. Coffee: 567
Peet's Coffee & Tea: 358
Caribou Coffee: 306
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf: 133
Biggby Coffee: 130
International Operations & Starbucks Statistics
The global expansion of Starbucks has been rapid and strategic. Starbucks generates the lion’s share of its revenue in the Americas; other regions account for less than 20% of its total revenues.
- Starbucks currently has over 24,000 stores across more than 75 markets
- It opened its first international store in Tokyo and the second one in Singapore in 1996
- In 1997, It inaugurated its third store outside the US in the Philippines
- By the following year, Starbucks entered the UK coffee shop market
- In January 1999, it opened its first store in China in Beijing World Trade Building
- After 20 years, Starbucks has opened over 4,200 stores in 177 cities in China, employing over 57,000 partners
- In 2002, it entered the Latin American market with its first store in Mexico City
- It penetrated the Russian coffee market in 2007
- In 2013, it opened its first store in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Starbucks entered its 64th international market and 15th market in the APAC region when it opened its first store in Brunei in February 2014
- In 2015, it opened new stores in Panama
Source: Starbucks Annual Report 2019
Unique Operations & Starbucks Statistics
Starbucks has long been cited as a business with great customer loyalty and high levels of customer satisfaction. The company knows how to keep its customers delighted and thus was able to build a huge fan base of promoters.
- In February 2008, it closed over 7,000 stores across the US for its Espresso Excellence Training program
- Involving about 135,000 baristas, this special program included training them on how to pour a perfect espresso shot and steamed milk
- Since 1987, Starbucks has been adding an average of two stores daily
- However, during the 2008 global recession, over 800 Starbuck stores were closed from that year until 2009
- There are 796 Starbucks locations in Chicago that employ over 18,100 people (or “partners”)
- Starbucks abides by the “10-Minute Rule,” which requires each store to open and close its doors 10 minutes before and after the start and end of store hours
- As of November 2019, Starbucks has six Reserve Roasteries located in New York, Tokyo, Seattle, Shanghai, Milan, and Chicago
- The world’s biggest Starbucks branch, the newest Reserve Roastery, is located in Chicago. This gigantic five-story building spans more than 35,000 square feet
Source: Starbucks Annual Report 2019
Branding & Starbucks Statistics
Since its inception, branding has been one of the decisive aspects of the Starbucks strategy. The coffee shop giant has invested considerably in creating a standardized appearance and feel of its stores, merchandise, and food and drinks.
- The Starbucks Siren logo is one of the most recognizable company logos in the world
- In Interbrand’s Best Global Brands 2019, Starbucks is 48th in rank, up by 23%
- Among all restaurant brands, the coffee shop company ranked 5th
- In 2011, Starbucks spent $109 million in advertising in the US alone
- By 2013, the company cut its ad spending to $95 million
- In terms of measured media spending globally, Starbucks was at no. 9 in 2018, spending $79 million
- In 2015, Starbucks’ American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) score went down to 74 points due to customer complaints regarding changes to Starbucks’ morning menu
- This low ASCI score placed the company at no. 10 on the list of top 10 fast-food chains in the US
- Its main competitor, Dunkin, is the only fast-food chain to improve customer satisfaction in 2015, climbing 4% to 78
- Following some operational improvements, Starbucks’ customer satisfaction index slightly improved to 75 (+1%) in 2016
- By 2019, Starbucks improved its ASCI score to 79 points
- The coffee giant enjoys a Net Promoter Score® of 77, an unparalleled feat in its sector
Source: Starbucks Annual Report 2019
Menu & Starbucks Statistics
In his book Onward, former Starbucks President and CEO Howard Schultz writes, “Success is not sustainable if it is defined by how big you become. Large numbers that once captivated me–40,000 stores–are not what mattered. The only number that matters is ‘one.’ One cup. One customer. One partner. One experience at a time.”
- Listing all of Starbucks main drinks and multiply them by all available customization possibilities will total to more than 87,000 combinations
- Its Cinnamon Chip Scone has 480 calories—70 calories more than the McDonald’s Quarter Pounder sandwich
- Starbucks’ White Hot Chocolate contains 78 grams of sugar (equivalent to 2 cans of soda) and over 500 calories (which is more than a McDonald’s BigMac)
- A Starbucks grande coffee has 320 milligrams of caffeine, more than four times the volume of caffeine in a Red Bull
- The Trenta can hold up to 916 milliliters. It is a bit larger than your stomach, which, on average, has a capacity of 900 ml
- For 2019, Starbucks’ beverage products generated $15.92 billion in revenues, followed by food ($4.79) and packaged and single-serve coffees and teas ($2.13 billion).
Source: Starbucks Annual Report 2019
Employment & Starbucks Statistics
Another unique strategy that differentiates Starbucks from other companies is that it has made its employees “partners” in business in more ways than one. All company employees, for instance, are offered stock options as well as health insurance.
- Starbucks spends $300 million in healthcare insurance for its partners (employees) than on purchasing coffee beans
- In 2014, the company announced the Starbucks College Achievement Plan for Starbucks partners. All partners who work 20 hours a week or more are eligible
- With Starbucks shouldering 100% of all education-related costs, the program involves the completion of any online bachelor’s degree program offered at Arizona State University
- To date, over 2,400 Starbucks employees had completed an online bachelor’s degree program at Arizona State University; 12,000 are currently enrolled
- From 2017-2019, Starbucks has reached an annual 100% pay equity for partners of all genders and races doing the same job functions throughout the US
- The coffee giant has welcomed and hired 1,672 refugees in Europe, Canada, and the United States
- Since 2013, the company has hired 22,500 veterans and military spouses,
- In 2018, Starbucks was able to employ 3,000 former military personnel and their wives
- By 2025, the company aims to hire 25,000 military spouses and veterans
- Since 2015, Starbucks has hired 71,145 youth—16- to 24-year-olds out-of-school youths who are unemployed
- Starbucks has reached its goal of enrolling 10,000 partners in its Greener Apron certification program
- Among its senior leaders, 42% are women, an increase of 13% since 2015; 19% of its C-level executives are people of color
- Starbucks China, which employs 52,000 partners, strictly observes gender equity in pay
Source: Starbucks 2019
CSR & Starbucks Statistics
Starbucks does almost everything against the norm to excel. It uses the same strategy in reaching out to communities, helping protect ecology, and in its overall corporate governance practices.
- Starbucks scored a perfect 100 out of 100 on the 2018 Corporate Equality Index, an initiative administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality
- Since 2011, Starbucks’ partners and volunteers served more than 960,000 hours in the communities it serves
- To drive consumer behavior on reusables, Starbucks launched the first-ever airport reusable cup trial at Gatwick Airport, London
- With a 2025 target, the company announced its strategy to improve the lives of 250,000 women and girls in cocoa, tea, and coffee communities
- In 2016, Starbucks partnered with Feeding America to launch its FoodShare food donation program. It aims to rescue 100% of the food available to donate from US stores by the end of 2020
- In 2019, Starbucks launched its FoodShare program in Canada. This initiative aims to rescue 100% of food available for donation from its over 1,100 company-owned stores in the country
- By the end of 2020, the US FoodShare program aims to rescue 100% of the unsold food from its over 8,000 company-owned stores in America
- In partnership with the World Wildlife Fund and SCS Global Services, Starbucks launched the Greener Stores framework to design, build, and run 10,000 environment-friendly stores worldwide by 2025
- Starbucks partnered with Feeding America, a nationwide network of 60,000 soup kitchens, meal programs, and pantries and 200 food banks. This program aims to connect FoodShare donations with local food banks and people who require them
- The company’s FoodShare program reached the milestone of providing over than 20 million meals to those in need
- In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, the company donated 2 million coffee seeds to rebuild Puerto Rico’s coffee industry
- The Starbucks’ Sustainability Commitment 2030 preliminary targets aim a 50% reduction in carbon emissions, in waste sent to landfills, and in water used in business operations and coffee production
Starbucks Sustainability Commitment: 2030 Preliminary Targets
Source: Starbucks Sustainability Commitment 2020
Created by CompareCamp.comSupply Chain & Starbucks Statistics
Since starting its operations in 1971, sustainability has been at the heart of Starbucks, especially in how it sources and uses its raw materials to prepare its F&B menu offerings.
- Starbucks purchases three percent of the world’s coffee, grown by more than 400,000 farmers
- 99% of Starbucks coffee is ethically sourced
- The company introduced five new rust-resistant coffee tree varieties and donates thousands of seeds to Costa Rican Coffee Institute
- To date, over a million coffee farmers and workers on four continents have benefited by participating in the company’s Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E) Practices
- Starbucks continues to expand how it positively influences the lives of 25 million people worldwide who depend on coffee for their livelihoods
- This includes a network of six farmer support centers around the world, which include those in Rwanda, Tanzania, Colombia, and Ethiopia, and a commitment to provide $20 million worth of short- and long-term loans for farmers
- In 2013, Starbucks purchased Hacienda Alsacia, its first 240-hectare coffee farm in Costa Rica, to function as a global agronomy Research and Development facility and working farm
- Starbucks has donated more than 31 million climate-resilient coffee trees like the hybrids developed at Hacienda Alsacia
- By 2025, Starbucks aims to donate 100 million trees to farmers across the world
- The Sustainable Coffee Challenge is a joint initiative of more than 60 NGOs, R&D firms, governments, and companies that collaborate to make coffee as the first sustainable agricultural product
- Over 6,200 farming families received new coffee trees from Starbucks to help to rehabilitate over 2,500 hectares of farmland across the world
- By 2020, Starbucks committed $50M in affordable credit for coffee farmers and cooperatives
- The company also invested $20 million in open-source agronomy via a network of eight Farmer Support Centers to train 200,000 coffee farmers by 2020
Starbucks Global Coffee Supply Chain
Source: Starbucks Annual Report 2019
Created by CompareCamp.comSustainability Timeline Starbucks Statistics
Over the years, Starbucks looked for ways to help protect the planet with the help of its partners, customers, industry experts, and advocates.
- 1971 – Opened its first store in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, selling whole bean coffee, spices, and tea
- 1984 – Started its first test of a coffeehouse concept, serving to-go coffee and tea in paper cups
- 1985 – Began offering a 10 cent reusable cup discount
- 1997 – Started using soymilk, the company’s first non-dairy alternative to milk
- 2005 – Made its first renewable energy purchase, equivalent to 5% of its US-based stores’ total electricity consumption
- 2006 – Increased its renewable energy purchases four times and launched the retail industry’s first hot beverage paper cup with 10% post-consumer recycled fiber
- 2008 – Announces 2015 “Shared Planet” commitments, including goals to ethically source 100 percent of its coffee; Introduces a new polypropylene plastic cup that uses 15 percent less plastic than previous cups and emits 45 percent less greenhouse gas during production
- 2012 – Rolled out cup sleeves made from more post-consumer content and less paper; this helped save almost 100,000 trees annually
- 2013 – To help reduce cup waste, began offering a £1 reusable cup in the United Kingdom and a $1 cup in Candana and the U.S.
- 2014 – Starbucks Japan launched environmentally friendly napkins made from 30% FSC®-certified paper and 70% post-consumer recycled milk-carton fiber
- 2015 – Purchased adequate renewable energy to power 100% of its company-operated stores in the U.K., Canada, and the U.S.
- 2016 – Reachef 1,000 LEED-certified stores in 20 countries
- 2017 – Announced its commitment to provide 100 million climate-resilient coffee trees to farmers by 2025
- 2018 – Removed straws in all Starbucks Korea store via strawless lids and paper straw alternatives; invests in solar farm to power 600 Starbucks stores in the US States, including West Virginia, Delaware, and North Carolina
- 2019 – Over 340 Illinois Starbucks-operated stores were powered with 100% renewable energy; introduced enhanced strawless lid made with 9% less plastic in selected U.S. and Canada stores
- 2020 – Hired its first chief sustainability officer; started the New Year across Asia by phasing out plastic straws
Technology Use & Starbucks Statistics
The coffee chain giant has always been a forerunner in the use of technology in its store and overall business operations. From POS and cloud computing to AI, Starbucks is building a highly personal, seamless customer experience in its stores and beyond by leveraging advanced computer technologies.
- Since Q3 2016, the Starbucks mobile app represents 25% of all in-store purchases across its US stores
- Powered by Microsoft, this mobile app uses reinforcement learning technology—a type of machine learning system—that help Starbucks continuously improve customer experience personalization
- At some locations, as much as 20% of peak hours orders come via mobile order-ahead
- In December 2018, Starbucks partnered with Alibaba in launching a virtual store that integrates all of its digital services into one location in China
- The total number of Starbucks’ Mobile Order & Pay users reached 16.3 million by the end of 2018
- 38% of Starbucks purchases comes from rewards or gift cards, 33% of which comes from its Rewards program
If you’re a small restaurant owner, it’s high time to also start leveraging technology such as res POS systems like Toast POS to your advantage.
Social Media & Starbucks Statistics
The brand has a sizable social media and digital presence, which has received renewed focus in recent years. This has been driven by the need to engage customers better and also be visible on platforms where the target or future customers spend time online.
- With 36,934,939 fans, Starbucks is the 4th top-ranked beverage brand with the most Facebook fans worldwide as of 2019
- In a 2019 online survey among American consumers, 18% said that they had purchased something from Starbucks because of an Instagram advertisement they’ve encountered
- The same survey found that 77% of respondents knew Starbucks at least by name
- A ranking of restaurants and bar brands in the UK shows Starbucks was mentioned almost 3.1 thousand times in print, online and social media
- In August 2019, Starbucks Coffee Japan was the 6th most popular Instagram account of domestic brands in that country
- With over 49,000 images, Starbucks is the most pictured food, and beverage brand found on Instagram posts worldwide in July 2017
Starbucks Nike McDonald's Adidas Originals Oreo Ben & Jerry's H&M Source: Social Media Advertising in the US, 2019Top Brands Purchased through Instagram Advertisements in the US, 2019
Starbucks: 18
Nike: 18
McDonald's: 17
Adidas Originals: 12
Oreo: 10
Ben & Jerry's: 9
H&M: 8
Covid-19 Pandemic & Starbucks Statistics
Leading the company’s response to the coronavirus pandemic is the Starbucks Foundation, which provided funding to help support the community’s urgent needs. From giving free food and providing handwashing stations, Starbucks delivered numerous assistance to first responders and people in need.
- Starbucks partners have served over 1 million cups of free coffee to first responders and front-line health care workers during the outbreak
- The company’s Washington D.C. regional director closed 98 of Starbucks’ 100 stores he oversees
- Even before the pandemic, over 60% of the company’s US store formats include a drive-thru, while 80% of all customer orders were placed “on-the-go.”
- Starbucks has tested various service options in over 300 stores across the US during the early weeks of the lockdown, including at-home delivery, curbside delivery, entryway pickup, and contactless service
- Starbucks store partners and managers have volunteered to brew and deliver 50 cups of free coffee to each of the 11 D.C. Police stations every afternoon for several weeks in March and April
- The Starbucks Foundation donated $1 million to Feeding America’s Covid-19 response fund
- It also gave $25,000 to the Food Bank for New York City
- As part of its hometown support initiatives, Starbucks also gave $250,000 to Northwest Harvest in Seattle
- Last March 17, Starbucks Foundation partnered with Broad Street Ministry to set up 12 temporary handwashing stations around Philadelphia, particularly in places where at-risk populations typically come together
- These foot-operated handwashing stations come with 40 gallons of water, complete with soap and paper towels; these stations are replenished once or twice a week
- Around 2,000 people now use these handwashing stations every day to wash their hands, helping slow the spread of the virus in Philadelphia
- The Starbucks Foundation donated $1 million to Mercy Corps to help assist in the prevention of COVID-19 in various coffee, tea, and cocoa farming communities
What do these Starbucks statistics mean to you?
Starbucks currently operates more than 31,000 stores across the world. With over 400,000 store partners, the coffee chain giant serves 100 million customers on a weekly basis. Empowered by top-of-the-line store design, advanced technologies, and coffee-making expertise, this world-class organization is poised to grow further.
If you’re a small business owner or an upcoming restaurateur, these statistics offer a wealth of knowledge in helping your improve your F&B operations. In times of plenty and crisis, you can likely learn a lesson or two on how Starbucks can adapt to market changes to achieve better outcomes. And don’t forget how the company also excels in helping protect the environment and in giving back to the communities it operates in.
Yes, Starbucks is almost everywhere in the US, from California to New York. However, there’s a town called Starbuck in Washington, and it doesn’t have a single Starbucks store.
References:
- Coffee’s Fifth Wave Continues to Roll in US Cafes
- How many Dunkin’ locations are there in the United States?
- World’s biggest Starbucks opens in Chicago
- The Secret to Starbucks’ Brand Success
- Best Global Brands 2019 Rankings
- Advertising Age Leading National Advertisers 2019 Fact Pack
- Starbucks: A Customer Loyalty Story to Learn from
- Starbucks stays Mum on Drink Math
- Be Careful Of Starbucks’ White Hot Chocolate
- A Medium Starbucks Coffee has over Four Times the Caffeine of RedBull and Three More Caffeine Facts
- Human Rights Campaign Recognizes Starbucks as Top Employer for LGBTQ Workplace Equality
- No strings attached: Starbucks College Achievement Plan grads launch into next careers
- About Starbucks China
- Starbucks UK launches first ever airport reusable cup trial at Gatwick Airport in London
- 20 million people fed through Starbucks FoodShare program
- Infographic: Starbucks Sustainability Commitment
- Sustainability Faceoff: McDonald’s vs. Starbucks
- Starbucks Sustainability Timeline
- This Earth Day, meet some of the people working to make coffee sustainable
- Starbucks Verifies 99% of Coffee Ethically Sourced
- Nurturing Family, Coffee for Next Generation of Farmers
- Starbucks to Provide 100 Million Healthy Coffee Trees by 2025
- 5 things to know about Starbucks new environmental sustainability commitment
- Starbucks turns to technology to brew up a more personal connection with its customers
- Starbucks hits 16.3M Mobile Users, eyes expanded delivery
- Starbucks creates Unified Virtual Store in China via Alibaba Technology
- Here’s how Mobile Order & Pay could lift Starbucks
- Social Insight: Instagram popularity ranking
- 6 Instagram Marketing Tips For 2018, Backed by New Analysis
- Starbucks gives 1 million cups of free coffee to front-line responders in U.S. and Canada
- A message from Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson: Preparing for the next phase in the U.S.
- As food bank need spikes, Starbucks and Feeding America fight hunger together
- Broad Street Ministry, The Starbucks Foundation to bring handwashing stations to homeless