Starbucks is examining a possible sale of its UK business as the world’s largest coffee chain faces changing consumer habits after the pandemic and increased competition.
The group hired advisers Houlihan Lokey this year to look at potential options for the business, according to a person familiar with the matter, who said it could attract interest from a specialist franchising group or a private equity company.
The chain oversees about 1,000 stores in the UK of which roughly 70% are franchises and the rest company owned.
The chain has said that footfall at office, travel and inner-city sites had been slower to recover than suburban and retail park locations.
