Nestlé and Starbucks today unveiled a new range of Starbucks coffee products that will be available in grocery stores in the U.S. starting February 2020. The new line-up includes Cold Brew concentrate, Fresh Brew coffee, as well as blends of Starbucks coffee with essential vitamins and golden turmeric – among others. These new innovations strengthen Starbucks at-home coffee offering, providing consumers new ways to enjoy Starbucks products in the comfort of their home. These products build upon the portfolio of innovation of the global coffee alliance, formed in August 2018 to create a revolutionary coffee experience for consumers. In 2019, Nestlé launched four coffee platforms worldwide under the Starbucks brand, including Starbucks Creamers in the U.S.

Final beautiful Starbucks store to open in 2019 - at the Hilton Garden Inn. This is our 14th store within the Avenues mall in Kuwait - does any other mall have more Starbucks?

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Food giant Nestle NESN.S on Thursday started selling Starbucks-branded SBUX.O coffee in mainland China, seeking to tap growth in a market where it says coffee consumption per capita remains low compared to global standards. Nestle last year paid $7.15 billion for exclusive rights to sell the U.S. chain’s coffees and teas globally, and began selling Starbucks-labelled products in Europe, Asia and Latin America in February. The world's largest food company will start selling 21 Starbucks-branded capsule and instant coffee products on Chinese e-commerce platforms like Alibaba's BABA.N Tmall and JD.com JD.O, as well as to offices and hotels in tier-1 cities, both companies said. “We believe China is the most exciting market in general but especially for coffee because... per capita cup consumption is quite low as compared to Asia,” said Rashid Aleem Qureshi, Nestle’s chief executive officer for the Greater China region. “Right now the overall soluble coffee in China is growing between 3-5% (a year) and we believe that by bringing this exciting new business opportunity we should be able to grow faster than that,” he said, referring to a category that includes capsule and instant coffee. Nestle’s move comes as the Swiss company experienced a slower first-half growth in China, its second-largest market, where other categories like mainstream baby foods have struggled compared to pricier options. China’s per capita coffee consumption is about 6 cups a year, compared to 400 in Japan and 300 in South Korea, Nestle said. The partnership with Starbucks would help Nestle add a premium coffee option to the range of products it already sells in China, such as Nescafe instant coffee range and Nespresso capsule coffees, Qureshi said. Starbucks China CEO Belinda Wong said the Nestle deal would open two new avenues to sell its products in China, where it has been investing heavily in its store network and delivery amid tougher competition from local startups.

Howard Schultz is stepping down from his role as executive chairman of Starbucks, effective June 26, according to a memo sent to employees Monday. Schultz is seen as the architect of the modern Starbucks, having overseen its expansion from a single coffee shop that opened in Seattle's Pike Place Market in 1971. He joined Starbucks in 1982 as director of operations and marketing. Over time he grew it into the iconic brand it is today, with more than 28,000 locations globally. Schultz's latest leadership transition sparked speculation about his potential political plans: He has been a supporter of former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton during her bid for president. Some have already questioned whether he would pursue his own presidential run. "I'll be thinking about a range of options for myself, from philanthropy to public service, but I'm a long way from knowing what the future holds," Schultz said in the memo. Myron E. Ullman, former chairman and CEO of J.C. Penney, was named chair, while Mellody Hobson, president and director of Chicago-based investment management firm Ariel Investments, will be named vice chair. Schultz, who now will become its chairman emeritus, served as the company's chief executive from 1987 to 2000, stepping down to focus on the company's global strategy. He remained on as chairman of the board. At that time, there were only 350 cafes located outside of the U.S. From 2000 to 2008, Starbucks rapidly expanded from 3,500 to about 16,000 locations, but for Schultz, the quality of the brand and its coffee had deteriorated. He returned to the head position in 2008 to revitalize it. Again in 2017, Schultz stepped down, handing the keys over to current CEO Kevin Johnson. Once more, he picked up the mantle of executive chairman of the brand, this time focusing on Starbucks' Roastery and Reserve Bar expansion. "I set out to build a company that my father, a blue-collar worker and World War II veteran, never had a chance to work for. Together we've done that, and so much more, by balancing profitability and social conscience, compassion and rigor, and love and responsibility," he said. Schultz laid the groundwork for Starbucks' extensive employee benefits including, health care, stock ownership and free college tuition. As CEO, Schultz also lead global hiring initiatives for veterans and military spouses as well as refugees. He is currently writing a book about his social work and his efforts "to redefine the role and responsibility of a public company in an ever-changing society." "Howard Schultz has been a pioneer in setting and maintaining a culture of social responsibility — both environmentally and socially — while being able to maintain financial performance," Tim Hubbard, assistant professor of management at the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business, told CNBC via email. "He has served as an example to other executives who work towards socially responsible firms, and as an example to board members who frequently cite his behavior as models for executives." Under Schultz's leadership, the company's stock has grown 21,000 percent since its initial public offering in 1992. He currently owns 37.8 million shares of Starbucks, or a 3 percent stake, worth about $2.17 billion. Schultz's leaves at time when the company is struggling to revitalize same-store sales in the U.S., a trend that has contributed to a nearly 12 percent decline in its stock over the past year. Shares of the company were down nearly 1 percent in after hours trading on Monday. The coffee chain's image also took a hit recently after two black men were arrested in one of its cafes in Philadelphia after asking to use the restroom. The company responded swiftly, and closed last week to provide anti-bias training to 175,000 employees. Schultz has always been a big proponent of Starbucks as a "third place," a space for the community to gather. "We will learn from our mistakes and reaffirm our commitment to creating a safe and welcoming environment for every customer," Schultz said after the incident. —CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin contributed to this report.

An Indiana judge has taken an unusual step and temporarily barred Starbucks from closing 77 failing Teavana stores in Simon Property Group malls because the real estate giant was less able to handle the financial pain. Starbucks said in July it planned to shutter its 379-store Teavana operation — but Simon rushed to court to block 77 stores in its malls from going dark — claiming such a move by a high-profile tenant could spark other stores in its malls to close. Starbucks, after trying to turn around its stumbling tea chain, said last August it was pulling the plug on Teavana. It wanted to close all the stores by the end of the year. But Indianapolis-based Simon, in an environment where hundreds of stores across the country are closing, rushed to a local court to ask Judge Heather Welch to stop the store closing. Welch, in a 55-page order, found that the very profitable Starbucks could absorb the financial hit — estimated by Starbucks to be $15 million over five months — better than Simon could. The mall operator did not provide an estimate of how much the closings of the Teavana stores would hurt them. The case is being closely watched by retailers and landlords alike amid a retail meltdown that has resulted in a record number of bankruptcies this year. The retail failures have left landlords scrambling to find new tenants and retailers in the difficult position of breaking their leases. Still, it is rare that a judge orders a retailer to keep stores open, retail experts said. “I’m somewhat shocked by the ruling,” said real estate lawyer Joshua Stein. Welch “catalogues every possible detriment to Simon as a result of having vacant space,” Stein said, adding, “That’s part of a job description of owning real estate. You deal with it and don’t get injunctions to have your tenant continuing to operate.” Other industry experts, who did not want to be identified, said the ruling will send a chill down the spines of distressed retailers. “If you are a tenant that has to close a bunch of stores that are based in malls,” said one source, “you are pretty scared after this ruling.” Welch admitted that “no court has ever entered preliminary or permanent injunctive relief to specifically enforce a continuous operations covenant against a non-anchor tenant” — but she did so anyway. “We are disappointed in the judge’s ruling and will continue to focus on finding a resolution,” Starbucks, which has a market cap of $81 billion, said in a statement, noting that it is not clear whether it will appeal — or even if it is permitted to do so. Simon’s vacancy rate as of Sept. 30 was 4.7 percent — slightly below the 4.8 percent national vacancy rate for all malls, according to JLL data. Simon argues that if Starbucks is allowed to “prematurely” break its lease, it could be forced to fill the vacancies with “less creditworthy tenant(s)” or less desirable tenants “who will only agree to less desirable lease terms, and/or a shorter-term lease,” according to the court filings. Industry sources suggested that other mall operators may now challenge Starbucks’ plans to close Teavana stores in their shopping centers. Shares of Simon Property Group, a $52 billion company, gained 60 cents on Friday, to $162.35.

When Starbucks opened its first location in the Middle East and North Africa region in 1999, the company chose to make its debut in Kuwait City with a café on the Souq Sharq waterfront in the heart of the city’s retail and entertainment district. Eighteen years later, Kuwait City is the site of the company’s first Starbucks Reserve™ coffee bar experience, located in the city’s soaring Crystal Tower. The skyscraper itself provided inspiration for the warm wooden interiors, with triangle shaped panels reminiscent of natural crystal stones. The store combines coffee theater with local design elements, and the craft of coffee takes center stage. Existing signature features were integrated into the design, including a coffered concrete ceiling and exposed brick surfaces. “We are extremely proud to introduce this special store that showcases our passion for coffee in this region,” said Graeme Gardiner, senior operations manager for Starbucks Kuwait. “With an immersive and sensory coffee bar, the new store defines a new opportunity bringing customers closer to their coffee – and Starbucks – more than ever before.” Featuring the company’s rare, small-lot Starbucks Reserve™ coffees roasted at its Starbucks Reserve™ Roastery in Seattle, the coffee bar gives baristas (who are Coffee Masters) a platform to engage in a dialogue with customers over a variety of brewing methods. These methods include manual Black Eagle espresso, as well as pour-over, Clover ™ Brewer, Siphon and Chemex. In addition to the classic Starbucks menu, the location will also feature specialty beverages created at the Roastery that showcase Starbucks Reserve™ coffees. Stores with Starbucks Reserve® coffee bars have opened in a number of U.S. cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and Boston. The experience is expected to make up 20 percent of the global store portfolio by 2021.