Starbucks to close 400 stores

You may have to go a little farther to get your java jolt as coffeehouse giant Starbucks announces it will be closing up to 400 company-owned stores.

At the same time, the company is going to expand what it called “convenience-led formats” such as curbside pickup, drive-thrus and mobile-only pickup stores, USA Today reported.

Those newer format stores will account for 300 new locations, CNN reported.

The reason for the closures and adjustments in business is being attributed to the change of consumer behavior spurred by the coronavirus pandemic, USA Today reported. But the company said it was already evaluating how the shops were run before COVID-19, CNN reported.

The changes will happen over a period of 18 months, the company said in a news release.

Cox Media Group