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Starbucks is shaking up its Seattle roots again, confirming the closure of five more stores in April, four of them unionized spots at 1101 Madison Street, 4147 University Way NE, 305 Harrison Street, and 4800 Sand Point Way NE, plus a non-union one at 1730 Minor Avenue. TheStreet reports this fits CEO Brian Niccols Back to Starbucks strategy, a billion-dollar push with store upgrades and closures to reclaim that third place vibe amid slowing sales, though early Q1 fiscal 2026 results show a promising 4 percent global comparable sales bump and 128 net new stores worldwide. Shares are up 20.46 percent year to date as of March 11, earning a Moderate Buy from analysts, but some like YR Research on Seeking Alpha call it a Hold, wary of high valuations.

Labor tensions are brewing hotter: Starbucks Workers United slammed the shutdowns as failing the hometown, filing unfair labor practice charges and demanding bargaining, per Fox13 coverage. Business Insider reveals the union just revised its economic proposal, dropping the wage floor demand to 17 dollars an hour from 20, with 4 percent annual raises and protections like just cause discipline, hoping to restart talks on March 30the first since December 2024. Spokesperson Jaci Anderson insists Starbucks is bargaining in good faith and available through April, while barista delegate Jasmine Leli says a fair contract is within reach if execs commit. No whiff of union busting confirmed, but investor scrutiny and rotating work stoppages add drama.

On the business front, Starbucks will webcast its 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders virtually on March 25 at 10 a.m. Pacific, accessible at investor.starbucks.com, as announced via Business Wire. Buzz in Nashville has the company eyeing a massive 250000-square-foot lease at Peabody Union, potentially adding hundreds of jobs, according to the Nashville Business Journal. No major public appearances or social media splashes from execs in the last few days, and nothing headline-grabbing in the past 24 hours beyond these labor and expansion ripples with big biographical weight for Niccols turnaround era.

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