Swot Analysis of Starbucks

Introduction

History

On March 30, 1971, three businessmen who is an English teacher (Jerry Baldwin), a writer Gordon Bowke and a history teacher Zev Siegel first started the Starbucks Corporation in Seattle, USA (Wikipedia, 2010). 2010).At that moment, their primary goal was just selling the whole bean coffee .However, from 1982, there was a huge change in the company's business when Howard Schultz participated in the company in a role of a director in retail and marketing sectors. After attending an international house ware in Milan, Italy, he returned back with an advice that Starbucks should serve fresh brewed coffee, cappuccino, espresso as well as beans and other related equipment .However, his advice to his owners was rejected. In 1986, Schultz decided to open his own coffee store based on Italian coffee bar's model, selling brewed Starbucks coffee. By 1987, He extended his business by opening three other coffee stores and bought Starbucks from the original owners with the price $4 million. His business had grown tremendously from that year until now making Starbucks has become the world largest coffeehouse with over 17,800 stores across more than 55 countries (Wikipedia, 2010). Starbucks has served a variety of products ranges from hot and cold beverages, coffee-related accessories like brewed coffee, coffee beans, complementary food items include hot and cold sandwiches ,pastries, snacks to other non-food items such as mugs and tumblers to books, music, and film(Wikipedia,2010).

Starbucks mission

Starbuck mission is about "to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time" (Starbucks Corporation 2009).In order to attain its mission, it is dedicated from purchasing and selling ethically high quality coffee bean from grower, calling its employees as partners so that they can feel as a part of the company, creating human connections with their customers, making a fully humanity in their stores, taking responsibility to be good neighbors in the community and rewarding its shareholders on the behalf of its success. Moreover, Starbucks is also committed to be an environmental friendly leader in all aspects of its business (Starbucks Corporation, 2009).

SWOT analysis for Starbucks Corporation

As we discussed earlier, the number of Starbuck brands enable the company becomes the world largest coffeehouse company. However, since the world has changed dramatically from 1971 when the company first started, a reassessment of the company's mission using SWOT analysis tool will offer a clear explanation about the company's position nowadays. The company business's aspects are analyzed to point out the strength as well as the weakness of it. The opportunity and threats of the company are evaluated throughout its