SBUX

Starbucks Corporation

Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Starbucks Corporation was formed in 1985 and its common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market (“NASDAQ”) under the symbol “SBUX.” Starbucks (together with its subsidiaries, “Starbucks” or the “Company”) purchases and roasts high-quality whole bean coffees and sells them, along with fresh, rich-brewed coffees, Italian-style espresso beverages, cold blended beverages, a variety of complementary food items, a selection of premium teas, and beverage-related accessories and equipment, primarily through Company-operated retail stores. Starbucks also sells coffee and tea products and licenses its trademark through other channels such as licensed retail stores and, through certain of its licensees and equity investees, Starbucks produces and sells a variety of ready-to-drink beverages. All channels outside the Company-operated retail stores are collectively known as specialty operations.

The Company’s objective is to maintain Starbucks standing as one of the most recognized and respected brands in the world. To achieve this goal, the Company plans to continue disciplined global expansion of its retail and licensed store base, to introduce relevant new products in all its channels, and to selectively develop new channels of distribution. The Company’s Global Responsibility strategy and commitments related to coffee and the communities it does business in, as well as its focus on being an employer of choice, are also key complements to its business strategies.

Segment Financial Information

Starbucks has three reportable operating segments, and each segment provided the indicated percentage of total net revenues for fiscal year ended September 27, 2009 (“fiscal 2009”): United States (“US”) (73%), International (19%) and Global Consumer Products Group (“CPG”) (8%). In the fourth fiscal quarter of 2009, the Company changed the composition of its reportable segments. The US foodservice business, which was previously reported in the US segment, is now reported in the CPG segment, as a result of internal management realignments within the US and CPG businesses. Segment information for all prior periods presented has been revised to reflect this change.

The US and International segments both include Company-operated retail stores and certain components of specialty operations. Specialty operations within the US include licensed retail stores and other initiatives related to the Company’s core business. International specialty operations primarily consist of retail store licensing operations in nearly 40 countries and foodservice accounts in Canada and the United Kingdom (“UK”). The International segment’s largest markets, based on number of Company-operated and licensed retail stores, are Canada, Japan and the UK. The CPG segment includes packaged coffee and tea, and other branded products sold worldwide through channels such as grocery stores, warehouse clubs and convenience stores, and US foodservice accounts. CPG operates a significant portion of its business through licensing arrangements and joint ventures with large consumer products business partners. This operating model leverages the business partners’ existing infrastructures and as a result, the CPG segment reflects relatively lower revenues, a modest cost structure, and a resulting higher operating margin, compared to the Company’s other two reporting segments, which consist primarily of retail stores.

Starbucks Card

The Starbucks Card program is designed to increase customer loyalty and the frequency of store visits by cardholders. Starbucks cards can be used in all Company-operated and most licensed stores in North America, and in a growing number of international markets. The cards have no expiration date and do not have any inactivity fees.

Specialty Operations

Specialty operations strive to develop the Company’s brands outside the Company-operated retail store environment through a number of channels. Starbucks strategy is to reach customers where they work, travel, shop and dine by establishing relationships with prominent third parties that share the Company’s values and commitment to quality. These relationships take various forms, including licensing arrangements, foodservice accounts and other initiatives related to the Company’s core businesses. In certain situations, Starbucks has an equity ownership interest in licensee operations. During fiscal 2009, specialty revenues (which include royalties and fees from licensees, as well as product sales derived from specialty operations) accounted for 16% of total net revenues.

Foodservice

The Company sells whole bean and ground coffees, including the Starbucks and Seattle’s Best Coffee brands, as well as a selection of premium Tazo® teas, VIA and other related products, to institutional foodservice companies that service business and industry, education, healthcare, office coffee distributors, hotels, restaurants, airlines and other retailers. The majority of the Company’s sales in this channel come through national broadline distribution networks with SYSCO Corporation, US Foodservicetm, and other distributors. The Company’s total foodservice operations had over 21,000 accounts, primarily in the US, at fiscal year end 2009. Revenues from foodservice accounts comprised 23% of total specialty revenues in fiscal 2009.

Product Supply

Starbucks is committed to selling only the finest whole bean coffees and coffee beverages. To ensure compliance with its rigorous coffee standards, Starbucks controls its coffee purchasing, roasting and packaging, and the global distribution of coffee used in its operations. The Company purchases green coffee beans from coffee-producing regions around the world and custom roasts them to its exacting standards for its many blends and single origin coffees.

The supply and price of coffee are subject to significant volatility. Although most coffee trades in the commodity market, high-altitude arabica coffee of the quality sought by the Company tends to trade on a negotiated basis at a substantial premium above commodity coffee prices, depending upon the supply and demand at the time of purchase. Supply and price can be affected by multiple factors in the producing countries, including weather, political and economic conditions. In addition, green coffee prices have been affected in the past, and may be affected in the future, by the actions of certain organizations and associations that have historically attempted to influence prices of green coffee through agreements establishing export quotas or by restricting coffee supplies.

Employees

The Company employed approximately 142,000 people worldwide as of September 27, 2009. In the US, Starbucks employed approximately 111,000 people, with 105,000 in Company-operated retail stores and the remainder in the Company’s administrative and regional offices, and store development, roasting and warehousing operations. Approximately 31,000 employees were employed outside of the US, with 30,000 in Company-operated retail stores and the remainder in the Company’s regional support facilities and roasting and warehousing operations. The number of the Company’s employees represented by unions is not significant. Starbucks believes its current relations with its employees are good.