Starbucks is pulling out of Russia amid its ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
The corporation is joining a long list of corporations ending their business relationships with the country. Starbucks announced on Monday that all 130 locations of its storefronts in the country would be closing their doors. The Russian cafes are all licensed locations, meaning Starbucks itself doesn’t operate them. Despite shutting down such a large number of stores, these locations only account for less than 1% of the company’s annual earnings. Starbucks will continue to pay employees for up to six months as they find new jobs.
The move comes as no surprise, considering that Starbucks ceased operations in Russia on March 8th after 15 years. In 2007, the company opened its first coffee shop in a shopping center on Moscow’s outskirts. It reached its 100th store in 2015.
Back in March, when operations were initially ceased, Starbucks former CEO Kevin Johnson slammed Russia’s “unprovoked, unjust and horrific attacks on Ukraine.”
“The invasion and humanitarian impact of this war are devastating and create a ripple effect that is felt throughout the world,” he wrote in a memo to colleagues shortly before his retirement.
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