Starbucks Controversy

Earlier this year Starbucks made recent news when an incident took place at one of its stores in Philadelphia. The incident occurred when two African American men entered the Starbucks store, sat down, and waited for a business associate to show up for a meeting. The two were approached by a Starbucks employee who asked if they were going to order anything. The men did not order anything and remained at the table. After asking them to leave, the employee called the police who then asked the men to leave and arrested them for trespassing. The incident has brought great controversy to the company as it is now under fire for racial profiling and bias. For a company that has always spoken up about political issues including inclusion and political …show more content…
This is the key sociocultural challenge that Starbucks faces. The company is frequently criticized by consumers for having high prices and taking advantage of customers, yet on the other hand, it still has millions of consumers that buy from the store every day. The company could offer cheaper alternatives to meet consumer demand, it has to ensure that it does not sacrifice quality in the process of lowering prices. By lowering prices Starbucks would have an opportunity to expand its customer base, raising the number of middle to lower class consumers that buy from its …show more content…
Thus Starbucks must demonstrate its commitment to the environment. This is an issue the company has managed to stay ahead of by pursuing greener stores, products, and conserving energy and reducing waste. A related issue is ethical sourcing which is a major issue that customers care about. Starbucks has a great reputation for sourcing its beans and tea in an ethical way and this brings ease to society and customers. Every day consumers become more concerned about ethics in sourcing ingredients for many of the products that are sold in our country and Starbucks has taken this under consideration when dealing with its suppliers and sources. Currently the company has a program in place to work towards 100% ethically sourced raw materials and ingredients. Starbucks calls of its efforts the “Starbucks Shared Planet” in which the company shows its commitment to do the best for the people and planet. The company also uses reusable cups and contributes many hours to community service each year. The company has been focused on minimizing its environmental impact as well as dealing with climate changes and has placed emphasis on inspiring other companies to do the same thing. Starbucks partners with NGOs and other not for profits to engage in social, community, and