Starbucks Gains Leadership in Nearly $1 Billion Light Roast Coffee Segment

  Starbucks Gains Leadership in Nearly $1 Billion Light Roast Coffee Segment

  Company Builds on Initial Category Success with New Taste of Lighter, Easy
                   Drinking Starbucks® Blonde Roast Coffee

Business Wire

SEATTLE -- January 7, 2013

Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) aims to grow share of the 40 percent
of U.S. coffee drinkers^1 who say they prefer a lighter roast by using an
innovative cross-channel campaign to win them over to Starbucks® Blonde Roast.
Starbucks has already seen significant success since introducing its lighter
roast coffee last year. Starbucks® Blonde Roast packaged coffee sales were 79
percent incremental in grocery and 70 percent incremental at Starbucks retail
stores, driving growth across all channels in the nearly $1 billion light
roast coffee segment.^2

Starbucks Blonde Roast is available in Starbucks stores and where customers
buy groceries. (Photo: B ...

Starbucks Blonde Roast is available in Starbucks stores and where customers
buy groceries. (Photo: Business Wire)

“Starbucks® Blonde Roast is a new roast curve for Starbucks that celebrates
our coffee heritage and roasting expertise and introduces new customers to our
coffee,” says Craig Russell, senior vice president, Global Coffee, for
Starbucks. “For those who think Starbucks® coffee is too dark, we now have an
answer. We’re excited about the response we’ve seen over the past year and are
looking forward to bringing the taste of our milder, easy-drinking Starbucks®
Blonde Roast coffee directly to even more consumers nationwide.”

In another sign that the company is reaching out to new customers, Starbucks
created Vanilla Blonde, its first handcrafted brewed coffee that features a
sweeter taste profile with the addition of vanilla flavored syrup added to its
lightest roast. Realizing approximately 80 percent of brewed coffee drinkers
add milk or sugar to their coffee^3, Vanilla Blonde gives brewed coffee
drinkers their own customizable option at Starbucks.

Starting today, millions of Americans will have the opportunity to taste
Starbucks® Blonde Roast and Vanilla Blonde thanks to an extensive
cross-channel sampling and sharing campaign featuring millions of offers for a
free tall (12 fl. oz.) cup of Starbucks® Blonde Roast or Vanilla Blonde and $1
off any Starbucks® packaged coffee or Starbucks® K-Cup® packs^4 in retail
stores and where customers buy groceries.

Here are some examples of how Starbucks will engage customers nationwide
starting today:

  * Customers can get a free Tall (12 fl. oz.) Starbucks® Blonde coffee for
    themselves by sharing a Starbucks Card eGift with a friend through a new
    desktop and mobile-enabled Facebook app accessible at
    apps.facebook.com/starbucksblonderoast. The app features uplifting Light
    Note cards to share with friends as a fun and humorous way to share a
    taste of Starbucks® Blonde Roast.
  * Starbucks® Mobile cafés will pop up in Boston, New York, Washington D.C.,
    Philadelphia, Chicago and Dallas where, for three weeks each, they will
    offer free samples of Starbucks® Blonde Roast and Vanilla Blonde coffee
    along with vouchers for a free Tall (12 fl. oz.) Starbucks® Blonde Roast
    coffee or Vanilla Blonde^5 and $1 off Starbucks packaged coffee and
    Starbucks K-Cup packs to passersby.
  * A dozen ambassadors donning coffee-filled jet packs will also hit local
    streets in these cities to share tastes of Blonde Roast coffee with those
    who can’t make it to the mobile cafés.
  * More than 8,000 food, drug, and mass grocery retailers will offer
    Starbucks® Blonde Roast to shoppers down the aisle – the biggest sampling
    effort down the aisle in Starbucks history.

About Starbucks Corporation

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing
and roasting the high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with stores around the
globe, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in
the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding
principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every
customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our
stores or online at www.starbucks.com.

^1 Starbucks Consumer Research 2010
^2IRI Panel Data for the 52-weeks ending 12-2-12 (includes all forms of light
roast coffee purchased at food, drug, and mass outlets, including Wal-Mart,
Sam’s Club, and Costco)
^3Starbucks A&U study, 2012
^4Keurig and K-Cup are trademarks of Keurig, Incorporated, used with
permission. K-Cup® packs for use in Keurig® K-Cup® Brewing Systems.
^5Value of eGift equivalent to one tall cup of brewed Starbucks® Blonde Roast
coffee valued up to $2.60. Number of eGifts available is limited. Limited time
offer.

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Contact:

Starbucks Coffee Company
Alisa Martinez, 206-318-7100
press@starbucks.com