Product details

Starbucks opened its first store in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region and the UK in 1998. The company had more than 25,000 stores worldwide and was the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Over the years, Starbucks in EMEA region had tried to build its retail business, made efforts in channel development and create deep connection with existing customers and engage with new ones. In 2018, Starbucks announced to restructure its operations in Europe and decided to fully license its operations in the Netherlands, France, Luxemburg and Belgium with its strategic partner Alsea. Further, Starbucks was on various social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to grab the eyeballs of customers online. Besides, the company explored a new marketing strategy referred to as 'Dark Social' on the social media. By using dark social, Starbucks tried to bring the marketing and product development closer. The company also tried to explore how it could use private groups and accounts on social media to engage with customers in a healthier way. But the challenge for Starbucks in EMEA region was the widespread market reach of over 45 markets each of which were at different stages of maturity and with different local needs. Amidst this scenario, it remained to be seen whether Starbucks' dark social strategy would succeed in enhancing the customer experience in the coming years.