Private Equity Moris Beracha Wuani

With fears about Covid-19 grounding flights, keeping Chinese consumers homebound, and halting goods coming out of China, investors may be worried about how Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) can continue its growth efforts in that region. These fears may be or may not be unfounded, but Chinese sales are less likely to have an effect on the coffee giant's overall condition than doomsayers realize. Starbucks' U.S. growth has remained phenomenal over the past few years. Customers are happy: That's what's been fueling the company's outstanding growth, and that's what will continue to boost its numbers and shareholder value long-term, despite any potential Covid-19 (also referred to as the coronavirus) headwinds. Need proof? Keep reading. Why the domestic numbers matter more There can be no global expansion if there isn't strength back home. And if there is, even if there are hiccups globally, the company can remain strong to eventually push the borders again. Starb...

By Daniel Palmer Starbucks is moving to give consumers more information on its coffee products using a blockchain system that will track beans from “farm to cup.” For the effort, the coffee chain is working with Microsoft to harness its Azure Blockchain Service in tracking coffee shipments from across the world, bringing “digital, real-time traceability” to its supply chains, according to an announcement from Microsoft. With the partnership, Microsoft’s blockchain service will record all changes along the journey of the coffee on a shared ledger, providing participants with a “more complete view” of the supply chain. Starbucks will use all that information to bring a new feature to its mobile app, giving consumers details on where the coffee was sourced and roasted, as well as on tasting notes. As part of its commitment to ethical sourcing, it’s also hoping that the blockchain system can help benefit growers too, by providing them with data...

By Alice Tozer / Fortune Starbucks would like to clear up all this Bitcoin confusion. The coffee chain, in an an email to tech and science publication Motherboard, said that “it is important to clarify that we are not accepting digital assets at Starbucks. At the current time, we are announcing the launch of trading and conversion of Bitcoin. However, we will continue to talk with customers and regulators as the space evolves. […] Customers will not be able to pay for Frappuccinos with bitcoin.” What necessitated that explanation? Starbucks announced on Friday that it would be trading in Bitcoin, alongside Microsoft and International Exchange (owner of the New York Stock Exchange), in a partnership called Bakkt. A flurry of news headlines suggested that the announcement meant that customers would be able to pay for their coffees using Bitcoin. The excitement may have come about because, as Motherboard put it, to date “it’s basically impossible to buy anything normal with it [Bit...