Starbucks Unveils New Store Design with a Focus on Accessibility and Inclusion
Starbucks Coffee Company has revealed its latest store design, which places a strong emphasis on accessibility and inclusion. The renowned coffee giant showcased the new format at its Union Market location in Washington D.C. The store boasts a range of accessible features, including optimized acoustics and lighting to enhance visual and audible communication for customers, power-operated doors, and accessible equipment designs aimed at improving the employee experience.
This Union Market store is the first to be constructed using Starbucks' groundbreaking inclusive design framework, which aims to enhance independence, choice, and convenience for individuals across physical and digital spaces. Going forward, all newly built or renovated Starbucks company-operated stores in the United States will incorporate this framework. It was developed through collaboration between a diverse community of customers, employees, and accessibility experts, with the intention of creating scalable solutions for retail spaces.
Various new features will be incorporated into future Starbucks stores, such as an updated Point-of-Sale (POS) system, customer order status boards, power-operated doors, optimized acoustics and lighting, inclusive equipment design, clear pathways, and counter designs that accommodate wheelchair access and facilitate better communication. The ultimate goal is to foster a culture of connection between customers and partners and to enhance accessibility for all. Starbucks is dedicated to better meeting the needs of its partners, customers, and communities, with a particular focus on accessibility.
During the recent fourth-quarter earnings call, CEO Laxman Narasimhan stated that Starbucks plans to continue opening more stores, with an estimated growth of around 4% in the U.S. this year. The company's newly opened company-operated stores in the U.S. have been generating average unit volumes of approximately $2 million, with ROIs of approximately 50%. Starbucks currently operates over 38,000 stores worldwide, further cementing its status as a global leader in the coffee industry.
Analyst comment
Positive news: Starbucks has unveiled a new store design focused on accessibility and inclusion. The design features optimized acoustics, lighting, and accessible equipment for better communication and employee experience. All new and renovated stores in the US will incorporate this design. Analyst prediction: This inclusive design framework will enhance customer satisfaction and attract more customers, leading to increased sales and profitability. Starbucks plans to continue opening more stores, with a projected growth of approximately 4% in the US.
