Starbucks Shakes Things Up With Store Closures And New Plans

What is going on with Starbucks?! They’re juggling store closings, moving towards fancy redesigns, and they're also dealing with union headaches, all while trying to keep customers happy. Here's the scoop, thanks to Hearst CT Media. Starbucks just announced it’s closing its Newington store on Main Street and its Danbury shop on Federal Road.

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The closures are part of the company’s grandly titled “Back to Starbucks” plan, which sounds less like a strategy and more like a movie sequel nobody asked for. The plan involves trimming about one percent of stores nationwide, cutting 900 corporate jobs, and promising that what’s left will be “warmer” and “more textured.”

Starbucks seems to be experiencing an identity crisis. They want to be everything (artisanal hangout, fast-food pit stop, union fighter, design showroom)… and that means they’re not nailing anything.
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The restructuring also includes corporate layoffs, with nearly 900 non-retail positions eliminated. Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol has devised the 'Back to Starbucks Plan,' which will consist of an elevated Starbucks experience for all customers and an enhanced coffeehouse design. The changes are designed to bring “clarity, focus, and speed” to the company’s operations. I don't know what any of that means.

On one hand, they’re shutting down stores in Connecticut (Danbury, Newington). On the other hand, they’re opening new ones in East Haven, Cheshire, and South Windsor. Customers are left scratching their heads: “Wait, are we shrinking or growing? Which is it?”