Starbucks Sparks 1,000% Rise In Retail Chatter As CEO Niccol Touts Store Makeover And Brand Reset

Starbucks (SBUX) stock witnessed over a 1,000% jump in retail user message count on Stocktwits over the last 24 hours after CEO Brian Niccol outlined plans for a reset aimed at driving the firm back to its coffee house roots, including plans to uplift several of its stores.

“Uplifts are intended to quickly replace thousands of seats we removed and introduce greater texture, warmth and layered design,” Niccol said during a post-earnings call on Tuesday.

“By the end of calendar year 2026, we will have completed at least 1,000 uplifts across North America,” he added.

Shares of Starbucks were up nearly 6% before the bell after the firm beat quarterly revenue expectations on the back of improving growth in the China region.

Retail sentiment on the stock improved to ‘extremely bullish,’ compared to ‘bullish’ a day ago, with chatter volume at ‘extremely high’ levels, according to Stocktwits data.

The coffee chain is undergoing an overhaul under Niccol, who has implemented the “Back to Starbucks” plan, aimed at reviving the heritage coffeehouse culture.

Starbucks is facing a complex mix of challenges that are impacting its performance and brand perception. It has seen a notable decline in store traffic, mainly in the U.S., with Gen Z consumers, a key demographic, gravitating towards other brands offering more options at better price points.

“We are clearly in the early stages of our turnaround in the U.S., but our work is gaining momentum,” Niccol said.

He added that the company still has a chance to fulfill existing demand by addressing the excessive out-of-stock levels and that the supply chain team is actively working on it. Early pilots have shown improvements in product availability, Niccol added

A bullish user on Stocktwits said that investors are digesting a flood of data, making sharp intraday volatility highly probable.

The stock has gained 2% year-to-date and jumped over 19% in the last 12 months.

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