New Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol has shared his vision for the coffee chain just two days after stepping into his new role.
Niccol officially joined the company on September 9 and has since outlined his intended changes in a detailed letter posted on the official Starbucks website.
Reflecting on what he’s learned about the company, Niccol wrote: “First, Starbucks is a beloved brand with wonderful people. We are woven into the fabric of people’s lives and the communities we serve.”
He continued: “Second, there’s a shared sense that we have drifted from our core. We have an opportunity to make the store experience better for our partners and, in turn, for our customers.”
Niccol described Starbucks stores as places of ‘connection and joy, and of course great coffee,’ but acknowledged that this has evolved over time.
“Many of our customers still experience this magic every day, but in some places — especially in the US — we aren’t always delivering,” Niccol stated.
“It can feel transactional, menus can feel overwhelming, product is inconsistent, the wait too long or the handoff too hectic. These moments are opportunities for us to do better.”
Niccol emphasized the need to ‘get back to Starbucks’ by ‘refocusing on what has always set Starbucks apart.’
He outlined four key changes: empowering baristas to better serve customers, ensuring that high-quality drinks and food are consistently delivered on time, reestablishing Starbucks as a community hub, and reminding people of Starbucks’ ‘unmatched coffee expertise, our role in communities and the special experience that only Starbucks can provide.’
He aims to achieve these goals within his first 100 days, suggesting that Niccol intends to address Starbucks’ current issues before the holiday season.
His statements come as the company has experienced a noticeable decline in sales in recent months.
According to ABC News, Starbucks saw an almost two percent decline in revenue over the first quarter of this year.
Former CEO Laxman Narasimhan described the results as ‘disappointing’ and attributed them to a ‘challenging operating environment.’
In the second quarter of this year, Starbucks experienced another decline in revenue.
Niccol hopes that by returning to its original sit-down model, rather than focusing on drive-thru options, the chain can ‘get back to what makes Starbucks, Starbucks.’