Starbucks has turned around its fortunes following a troubled patch, which saw it shed stores, as the UK’s second-biggest coffee chain gears up to roll out its new "bespoke" outlets.
A spokesperson told British Baker: "We have more customers than ever before and our like-for-like store sales in the last three months have returned to growth.
"The last year has been challenging for us and for some of our customers, who have faced a real squeeze, but we’ve taken a number of steps to improve the value and experience we offer our customers and it’s paying off," she added.
The firm will spend £25m over the next year refurbishing 100 stores as part of an exercise that "allows us to take a root-and-branch look at environmental performance", she said. Star-bucks designers will carry out all the designs on a store-by-store basis.
"The new approach means our designers will look at each UK store individually and ensure it reflects the environment and community in which it is placed," she said.
Among the changes will be a 20% cut in energy costs and around 10% in water use. The choice of food has been widened for breakfast, with crepes, fruit toast, porridge and whole fruit on the menu.
Starbucks’ reward card scheme now offers free extras, such as a shot of Fairtade espresso, and free Wi-Fi will be available in-store.
l See Interior Motives, page 22

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