The Starbucks Move Everyone Missed, And Why It Matters More Than You Think

Every so often, the industry gives us a moment that quietly redraws the map. Starbucks’ decision last week to sell a 60% stake in its China business is one of those moments.  It’s shocking on the surface, inevitable underneath and packed with lessons for anyone watching the future of foodservice.

What looks like a corporate reshuffle is actually something bigger: a signal of how global coffee, hospitality and even the UK’s out-of-home market are being reshaped by slowing growth, shifting consumer habits and the rise of smarter, more agile competitors.In the piece, I look into:

• Why Starbucks is trading ownership for local insight—and what that says about the next era of global expansion

• How the UK’s coffee market is echoing China’s pressures

• What the latest US numbers reveal about a sector where value-led brands surge while others stall

• Why delivery, affordability and agility now matter more than scale

  
  

Viewed together, they reveal a reality: success is no longer about being everywhere—it’s about understanding every customer.If you’re interested in where the coffee sector (and wider foodservice industry) is heading next, this is worth your time.

Read the full story