Year in Review: Fiscal 2011
From our beginning as a single store in Seattle’s Pike Place Market in 1971, we have sought to be a catalyst for positive change in the many communities we serve. Now, with more than 17,000 stores in more than 55 countries and a growing business in consumer packaged goods, we find our reach is greater than ever. Just as important, we continue to believe that the ultimate way to scale the power of our brand is to share the good we do and how we do it so that Starbucks and everyone we touch – from customers to coffee farmers – can thrive and endure.
Throughout our more than 40-year journey, Starbucks has sought to find innovative and relevant solutions to the challenges we face as a company while respecting and bringing value to the communities we serve. Today we continue to strengthen and grow our business. Not only does our family of brands connect with people who visit our stores approximately 60 million times each week, but also with customers in the grocery aisle, at home, and in the digital world. In 2011, Starbucks and our stakeholders continued to face pervasive global economic uncertainty and high global unemployment. As always, we seek to lead where we can – inviting other organizations to join us in efforts that can change entire industries, as well as neighborhoods. Time and time again, we have formed relationships with like-minded organizations to help us magnify the moments of connection that remain at the foundation of our business. More than ten years ago, we turned to Conservation International to help us build our ethical sourcing program. Now C.A.F.E. Practices is in its eighth year, and we are sourcing nearly 86 percent of our coffee in a way that promotes continuous improvement in quality, productivity, environmental impact and transparency. As part of our ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship, we have been a retail industry leader in