Starbucks Outlaws Lounging Without Buying As Sales Slip

The days of hanging out at Starbucks without purchasing anything are apparently over.Beginning Monday (Jan. 27), the coffee chain is rolling out new policies that define customers as people who buy beverages or food. People who lounge without making purchases could be asked to leave, the Financial Times (FT) reported.The report notes the urgency behind this decision, as Starbucks’ North American stores saw 5% fewer transactions last year, its first yearly decline since the COVID pandemic. When the company i ...