Increased spending per visit drove the same-store sales rise since customer visits, referred to as traffic, were flat.Starbucks' home market of the United States is its largest, with more than 14,000 stores. During the quarter, U.S. cafes offered 15 percent off new blonde espresso drinks and half-price espresso drinks during afternoon Happy Hour.But China is Starbucks' biggest growth driver. Same-store sales in that 3,200-store market were up 4 percent in the second quarter, versus gains of 6 percent and 8 percent in the two prior periods. Executives attributed the softer results in the latest quarter to a shift in the timing of Lunar New Year. It plans to close 8,000 company-owned cafes on the afternoon of May 29 for racial tolerance training.Chief Executive Kevin Johnson said on a post-earnings call that the incident has not had an impact on U.S. same-store sales.

Source: The Star April 26, 2018 23:15 UTC