Starbucks is closing 434 stores in a single quarter

Core Insights - Starbucks plans to close approximately 1% of its North American stores by the end of the fiscal year, resulting in a total of 18,300 cafes in the U.S. and Canada [1] - The company will have closed 434 locations between the end of Q3 and Q4, marking a 2.3% reduction in its North American store count for that quarter [2] - The net reduction for the entire fiscal year will be 227 stores, equating to about 1.2% of its North American cafes [2] Store Closures - Starbucks has not disclosed a full list of affected locations, and it remains unclear how many unionized stores are impacted [3] - A significant portion of the closures, at least 150 stores (35%), are located in California, which has the highest minimum wage for quick-service employees at $20 per hour [5] - Other notable closures include 41 stores in New York and 18 in Oregon, with many closures corroborated by digital storefronts on Google and Yelp [5] Union Response - Workers United has formally requested information from Starbucks regarding the planned closures and expects to engage in effects bargaining for impacted union stores [4] - There are claims from former Starbucks employees that more workers were terminated than transferred to other stores following closures [4]