Overview
Starbucks Corp. believes it has substantial runway for further store growth both internationally and within the United States, Chief Executive Officer Brian Niccol said during a presentation at the Evercore Consumer and Retail Conference. Niccol framed the opportunity in concrete terms, describing how the chain’s existing store totals leave room for material expansion.
International growth potential
Niccol said the company currently operates 22,000 stores outside the United States and that there is no reason that number cannot double. He presented this as an achievable opportunity for Starbucks to expand its global footprint from the current base of international locations.
U.S. expansion targets
On the domestic front, Niccol said Starbucks can add at least 5,000 additional locations in the United States. He pointed to geographic areas between Texas and Virginia and to the center of the country as regions where the company has under-invested historically.
"We just have had a West Coast, East Coast bias and didn’t develop enough in the middle of the country,"
Current scale
Starbucks operates more than 41,000 stores in 89 markets around the world, including locations run with partners. Close to 23,000 of these stores are located outside the U.S. and Canada, illustrating the company’s sizable global presence even before any further expansion.
Implications for stakeholders
The remarks outline explicit numeric targets and geographic focus areas that will guide how Starbucks evaluates new site opportunities and partner relationships. The references to partner-operated locations underscore the mixed operating model the company uses to scale globally.
Conclusion
Niccol’s comments at the conference map out aspirational but quantified expansion goals for Starbucks both abroad and domestically. The CEO identified specific U.S. regions for additional store growth while reiterating the company’s ability to multiply its international footprint from its existing base of stores.