全通翻譯/翻譯社

Howard Schultz Brews Change at Starbucks

When Howard Schultz established Starbucks in the 1980s, he reinvented the coffee experience, offering gourmet coffees and a special relationship with customers. Two decades later, in dire need, the company called him back to reinvent that experience again.

In 2007, Starbucks was struggling, a victim of both the bad economy and its own rapid growth. Expansion over the previous three years had doubled the number of locations to more than 16,000. In the process, many people felt the company had commodified its business, watering down its special coffee experience. What's more, chains including McDonald's were entering the gourmet coffee market, offering new competition.

Starbucks shares fell from US$38 in late 2006 to US$18.11 at the end of 2007 and would continue to slide to a low of less than US$10 at the height of the recession. So in early 2008 the company's board asked Schultz, who was then board chairman, to return as CEO, eight years after leaving the job. After talking with his family — being CEO would entail 15-hour days — Schultz finally agreed. Assuming the reins, he announced a “transformation agenda” to revive the company's fortunes.

“We must address the challenges we face and we know what has to be done,” Schultz said. “We are recommitting ourselves to what has made Starbucks and the Starbucks experience so unique.”

勇往直前──霍華‧舒茲再造星巴克咖啡帝國

當霍華‧舒茲於一九八○年代創立星巴克時，他重新塑造了咖啡體驗，提供極品咖啡以及與顧客間的特別關係。廿年後，在迫切的需要下，公司請他回鍋再造相同的體驗。

二○○七年時，星巴克掙扎求生，成了經濟不景氣與其快速擴張下的受害者。前三年的拓展導致門市量倍增到 16,000 多家。在這個過程中，許多人覺得星巴克日趨商品化，削弱其特別的咖啡體驗。此外，麥當勞等連鎖餐飲業者也進軍極品咖啡市場，引發了新競爭。 星巴克股價從二○○六年底的 38 美元跌至二○○七年底的 18.11 美元，在經濟衰退期高點時更可能持續滑落至 10 美元以下的低點。因此，二○○八年初，公司董事會央請當時擔任董事長的舒茲重任執行長──這個他已卸下達八年之久的職位。由於執行長每天上班時間長達 15 小時，在和家人討論過後，舒茲終於點頭答應。重掌兵符後的舒茲遂宣布重振公司雄風的「轉型計畫」。

「我們必須解決我們所面臨的挑戰，而我們知道該做什麼，我們要致力再次找回讓星巴克與星巴克體驗與眾不同的本質。」舒茲如此表示。.

資料來源：biz 互動英語電子報