Starbucks Mulls Sale of Japan Business: Report

Tokyo, June 11 (Jiji Press)–U.S. coffee shop chain Starbucks Corp. is considering selling its Japanese business, Bloomberg has reported. The deal, if realized, may stand at around 400 billion to 500 billion yen, according to the report. A sale of Starbucks’ Japan operations is expected to attract significant market interest, including from private equity funds investing in competitors and unlisted companies, people familiar with the matter said. A final decision has yet to be made, with an initial public offering also under consideration. In 1996, Starbucks opened its first store outside North America in Tokyo’s upscale Ginza district. The coffee store chain made the Japan arm its wholly owned subsidiary in 2015. Japan is one of the company’s largest overseas markets, with about 2,000 Starbucks outlets. The proposed sale of the Japan operations is believed to be intended to secure funds while the company’s business performance in the Asian country remains strong. Facing stagnant U.S. operations, which account for most of its sales, Starbucks is undergoing a rebuild under the leadership of Brian Niccol, who became chief executive officer in 2024. In November last year, the company announced that its Chinese operations will be run by a company set up jointly with investment firm Boyu Capital, as part of efforts to achieve a business turnaround. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]