Starbucks has revealed plans to close several stores across the UK, putting jobs at risk.
The coffee shop chain launched a consultation on Thursday (September 25), looking at proposed closures of UK stores.
The closures would put all the jobs at these sites at risk.
UK high street shops that no longer exist
Starbucks reveals plans to close some UK stores
Starbucks is yet to reveal how many stores and employees will be affected, or the locations of the sites.
There are currently 520 company-owned stores in the UK, as well as a number of franchise-owned coffee shops.
It is understood that more than 5,600 people work for Starbucks across the UK.
The chain said it is planning to close sites where it has not been able to “create the physical environment customers” want, and where they are not sustainably profitable.
Starbucks also revealed it will reduce its portfolio of stores in North America by 1% this year and will cut around 900 head office jobs there.
In a statement, Starbucks said: “We have conducted a review of our coffeehouse portfolio in North America and certain stores have been identified for closure where it has not been possible to create the physical environment customers and partners (employees) want, and where there isn’t a path to financial performance.
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"In Europe Middle East & Africa (EMEA), we have conducted a similar review of our company-operated store portfolio with the goal of ensuring that our stores are correctly located, generating appropriate levels of foot traffic and operating in the right formats.
“While the EMEA business is on track to meet its commitment to open 80 new stores in the UK and 150 across EMEA this financial year, some stores in the UK, Switzerland and Austria will close as a result of this portfolio review.”
These latest cuts come after chairman and chief executive Brian Niccol, who joined the company a year ago, announced plans to lay off 1,100 workers earlier this year (February).
Despite the proposed closures, the coffee chain said it is still on track to open 80 new stores in the UK.
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