Starbucks is Leaving Russia.. And Reopening in Moscow under a New Brand
In an earlier article about the McDonald’s reopening in Russia, we looked in detail at the double standards of Western companies that have officially announced their withdrawal from the Russian market, while maintaining their presence and business interests here. Unexpectedly this article quickly went viral and received a great response. Now we continue our research and turn to the no less interesting “Starbucks case”.
Like many other international companies, Starbucks closed its coffee shops in Russia after the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022 and announced plans to leave the Russian market.
Starbucks Corporation, which opened its first coffee house in Russia in 2007, suspended all operations in March, after Russia invaded Ukraine. As the United States and its allies responded to Putin’s invasion with an unprecedented wave of economic sanctions, many companies like Starbucks faced public pressure to cut all business ties with Russia.
From Starbucks’ May 23 official statement:
We have suspended all business activity in Russia, including shipment of all Starbucks products. Starbucks has made the decision to exit and no longer have a brand presence in the market. We will continue to support the nearly 2,000 green apron partners in Russia…