How Starbucks Survived the Barista Crisis

The Pivot Podcast with Fexingo: How Businesses Change Direction and Survive Disruption · Oct 23, 2026 · 13m · transcript

In October twenty twenty six, we look at how Starbucks turned its biggest weakness into its strongest moat. When barista turnover hit forty percent and wages lagged behind inflation, CEO Howard Schultz bet on the employee experience over the coffee bean. The result was a two point one percent revenue increase in a flat market, driven by loyalty program retention and store-level efficiency. We break down the specific operational changes that kept the green apron relevant when competitors chased lower costs.

#BusinessStrategy #StarbucksTurnaround #HumanCapitalManagement #EmployeeRetention…