Home / Business and Economy / Starbucks Sees First Traffic Gain in Two Years
Starbucks Sees First Traffic Gain in Two Years
29 Jan
Summary
- Customer traffic rose for the first time in two years.
- Same-store sales grew by 4% due to menu innovations.
- Fiscal 2026 earnings per share projected between $2.15-$2.40.
For the first time in two years, Starbucks has seen an increase in customer traffic, leading to a 4% growth in same-store sales. CEO Brian Niccol expressed optimism, calling this rise "just the beginning" of the company's turnaround strategy.
Innovations such as protein cold foam have successfully attracted both regular and occasional customers. Further enhancements are planned for the menu, rewards program, and digital customer experience. These initiatives aim to move the company "back to Starbucks" by prioritizing customer and employee experience over purely mobile orders and profits.
While these strategic investments, including restaurant and labor enhancements, have impacted profits in the fiscal first quarter, leading to missed earnings per share estimates, executives expect margins to recover. The company has issued its first annual forecast since Niccol took over, projecting fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings per share between $2.15 and $2.40, with global and U.S. same-store sales growth of at least 3%.
