Pursuits

Starbucks Tries Buy-One, Give-One Strategy With Coffee Deal

  • Company donating trees in effort to publicize rust-fungus woes
  • Selling technique embraced by startups like Toms, Warby Parker
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Starbucks Corp. is trying out the buy-one, give-one model embraced by startups like Toms Shoes and Warby Parker.

Starting Tuesday, the chain will donate a coffee tree to farmers for every bag of coffee beans that customers buy from its 7,400 U.S. company-owned locations. The yearlong program is part of an effort to raise awareness about the rust fungus that’s damaging crops in Central America.