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Fiscal 2015 Annual Report UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, DC 20549 Form 10-K ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the Fiscal Year Ended September 27, 2015 or TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to Commission File Number: 0-20322 . Starbucks Corporation PART I (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter) Washington (State of Incorporation) 91-1325671 (IRS Employer ID) 2401 Utah Avenue South, Seattle, Washington 98134 (206) 447-1575 (Address of principal executive offices, zip code, telephone number) Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Title of Each Class Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered Nasdaq Global Select Market Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes No Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T ( 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes No Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation of S-K ( 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer" and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one): Large accelerated filer Non-accelerated filer (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) Accelerated filer Smaller reporting company Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes No The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter, based upon the closing sale price of the registrant's common stock on March 29, 2015 as reported on the NASDAQ Global Select Market was $69 billion. As of November 6, 2015, there were 1,484.8 million shares of the registrant's Common Stock outstanding. DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Portions of the definitive Proxy Statement for the registrant's Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on March 23, 2016 have been incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. STARBUCKS CORPORATION Form 10-K For the Fiscal Year Ended September 27, 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I Item 1 Item 1A Item 1B Item 2 Item 3 Item 4 Business Risk Factors Unresolved Staff Comments Properties Legal Proceedings Mine Safety Disclosures PART II Item 5 Market for the Registrant's Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities Item 6 Selected Financial Data Item 7 Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations Item 7A Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data Index For Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Item 9 Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure Item 9A Controls and Procedures Item 9B Other Information PART III Item 10 Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance Item 11 Executive Compensation Item 12 Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters Item 13 Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence Item 14 Principal Accounting Fees and Services PART IV Item 15 Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules SIGNATURES INDEX TO EXHIBITS 2 10 16 16 16 16 17 19 22 44 46 51 88 89 89 91 92 92 92 92 92 93 94 96 CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends," "plans," "seeks" or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs, such as "will," "should," "could," "may," "aims," "intends," or "projects." A forward-looking statement is neither a prediction nor a guarantee of future events or circumstances, and those future events or circumstances may not occur. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. These forward-looking statements are all based on currently available operating, financial and competitive information and are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Our actual future results and trends may differ materially depending on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the risks and uncertainties discussed under "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations". Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not rely on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Any or all of the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and any other public statement made by us, including by our management, may turn out to be incorrect. We are including this cautionary note to make applicable and take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for forward-looking statements. We expressly disclaim any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Starbucks Corporation 2015 Form 10-K 1 PART I Item 1. Business General Starbucks is the premier roaster, marketer and retailer of specialty coffee in the world, operating in 68 countries. Formed in 1985, Starbucks Corporation's common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market ("NASDAQ") under the symbol "SBUX." We purchase and roast high-quality coffees that we sell, along with handcrafted coffee, tea and other beverages and a variety of fresh food items, including snack offerings, through company-operated stores. We also sell a variety of coffee and tea products and license our trademarks through other channels such as licensed stores, grocery and foodservice accounts. In addition to our flagship Starbucks Coffee brand, we sell goods and services under the following brands: Teavana, Tazo, Seattle's Best Coffee, Evolution Fresh, La Boulange and Ethos. Our objective is to maintain Starbucks standing as one of the most recognized and respected brands in the world. To achieve this, we are continuing the disciplined expansion of our global store base, adding stores in both existing, developed markets such as the U.S., and in newer, higher growth markets such as China, as well as optimizing the mix of company-operated and licensed stores in each market. In addition, by leveraging the experience gained through our traditional store model, we continue to offer consumers new coffee and other products in a variety of forms, across new categories, and through diverse channels. We also believe our Starbucks Global Responsibility strategy, commitments related to ethically sourcing high-quality coffee and contributing positively to the communities we do business in, and being an employer of choice are contributors to our objective. In this Annual Report on Form 10-K ("10-K" or "Report") for the fiscal year ended September 27, 2015 ("fiscal 2015"), Starbucks Corporation (together with its subsidiaries) is referred to as "Starbucks," the "Company," "we," "us" or "our." Segment Financial Information We have four reportable operating segments: 1) Americas, which is inclusive of the U.S., Canada, and Latin America; 2) China/ Asia Pacific ("CAP"); 3) Europe, Middle East, and Africa ("EMEA") and 4) Channel Development. We also have several nonreportable operating segments, including Teavana, Seattle's Best Coffee, Evolution Fresh, and our Digital Ventures business, as well as certain developing businesses such as the Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room, which are combined and referred to as All Other Segments. Revenues from our reportable segments and All Other Segments as a percentage of total net revenues for fiscal 2015 were as follows: Americas (69%), CAP (13%), EMEA (6%), Channel Development (9%) and All Other Segments (3%). Our Americas, CAP, and EMEA segments include both company-operated and licensed stores. Our Americas segment is our most mature business and has achieved significant scale. Certain markets within our CAP and EMEA operations are still in the early stages of development and require a more extensive support organization, relative to their current levels of revenue and operating income, than our Americas operations. In certain markets within CAP and EMEA, occupancy costs and store operating expenses can be higher than in the Americas segment due to higher rents for prime store locations or costs of compliance with country-specific regulatory requirements. The Americas and EMEA segments also include certain foodservice accounts, primarily in Canada and the U.K. Our Channel Development segment includes roasted whole bean and ground coffees, premium Tazo teas, Starbucks- and Tazo-branded single-serve products, a variety of ready-to-drink beverages, such as Frappuccino, Starbucks Doubleshot and Starbucks Refreshers beverages, and other branded products sold worldwide through channels such as grocery stores, warehouse clubs, specialty retailers, convenience stores, and U.S. foodservice accounts. Starbucks segment information is included in Note 16, Segment Reporting, to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this 10-K. 2 Starbucks Corporation 2015 Form 10-K Revenue Components We generate nearly all of our revenues through company-operated stores, licensed stores, consumer packaged goods ("CPG") and foodservice operations. Company-operated and Licensed Store Summary as of September 27, 2015 Americas Company-operated stores Licensed stores Total 8,671 6,132 14,803 As a% of Total Americas Stores 59 % 41 % 100% CAP 2,452 3,010 5,462 As a % of Total CAP Stores 45 % 55 % 100% EMEA 737 1,625 2,362 As a % of Total EMEA Stores 31 % 69 % 100% All Other Segments 375 41 416 As a% of Total All Other Segments Stores 90 % 10 % 100% Total 12,235 10,808 23,043 As a% of Total Stores 53 % 47 % 100% The mix of company-operated versus licensed stores in a given market will vary based on several factors, including our ability to access desirable local retail space, the complexity and expected ultimate size of the market for Starbucks, and our ability to leverage the support infrastructure in an existing geographic region. Company-operated Stores Revenue from company-operated stores accounted for 79% of total net revenues during fiscal 2015. Our retail objective is to be the leading retailer and brand of coffee and tea in each of our target markets by selling the finest quality coffee, tea and related products, as well as complementary food and snack offerings, and by providing each customer with a unique Starbucks Experience. The Starbucks Experience is built upon superior customer service, as well as clean and well-maintained stores that reflect the personalities of the communities in which they operate, thereby building a high degree of customer loyalty. Our strategy for expanding our global retail business is to increase our market share in a disciplined manner, by selectively opening additional stores in new and existing markets, as well as increasing sales in existing stores, to support our long-term strategic objective to maintain Starbucks standing as one of the most recognized and respected brands in the world. Store growth in specific existing markets will vary due to many factors, including the maturity of the market, economic conditions, consumer behavior and local business practices. Starbucks Corporation 2015 Form 10-K 3 Company-operated store data for the year-ended September 27, 2015: Stores Open as of Sep 28, 2014 Stores Open as of Opened Closed Transfers Net Sep 27, 2015 Americas: 7,303 312 (56) 256 7,559 Canada 983 41 (15) 26 1,009 Brazil 89 18 (4) 14 103 Puerto Rico 20 (1) (19) (20) 8,395 371 (76) (19) 276 8,671 Japan 77 (13) 1,009 1,073 1,073 China 823 212 (9) 203 1,026 Thailand 203 36 (2) 34 237 Singapore 106 14 (4) 10 116 1,132 339 (28) 1,009 1,320 2,452 506 4 (18) (64) (78) 428 152 78 55 17 9 817 2 1 1 1 9 (5) (2) (25) (64) (3) (2) 1 1 1 (80) 149 76 56 18 10 737 365 4 11 (5) (1) 6 (1) 371 3 369 10,713 1 12 731 (6) (135) 926 U.S. Total Americas (1) China/Asia Pacific : Total China/Asia Pacific EMEA: U.K. Germany France Switzerland Austria Netherlands Total EMEA All Other Segments: Teavana Evolution Fresh Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room Total All Other Segments Total company-operated (1) 1 6 1,522 1 375 12,235 China/Asia Pacific store data includes the transfer of 1,009 Japan stores from licensed stores to company-operated as a result of the acquisition of Starbucks Japan in the first quarter of fiscal 2015. Starbucks company-operated stores are typically located in high-traffic, high-visibility locations. Our ability to vary the size and format of our stores allows us to locate them in or near a variety of settings, including downtown and suburban retail centers, office buildings, university campuses, and in select rural and off-highway locations. We are continuing the expansion of our various store formats, including Drive Thru and express stores, to provide a greater degree of access and convenience for our customers. Starbucks stores offer a choice of coffee and tea beverages, as well as other premium coffee, tea and related products, including distinctively packaged roasted whole bean and ground coffees, a variety of premium single-serve and ready-to-drink coffee and tea products, juices and bottled water. Starbucks stores also offer an assortment of fresh food and snack offerings, including selections focusing on high-quality ingredients, nutritional value and great flavor. A focused selection of beveragemaking equipment and accessories are also sold in our stores. Each Starbucks store varies its product mix depending upon the size of the store and its location. To complement the in-store experience, our company-operated Starbucks stores in the U.S., Canada, and certain other international markets also provide customers free access to wireless internet. 4 Starbucks Corporation 2015 Form 10-K Retail sales mix by product type for company-operated stores: Fiscal Year Ended Beverages Food Packaged and single-serve coffees and teas Other(1) Total (1) Sep 27, 2015 Sep 28, 2014 Sep 29, 2013 73% 19% 3% 5% 73% 18% 4% 5% 74% 18% 4% 4% 100% 100% 100% "Other" primarily consists of sales of ready-to-drink beverages, serveware and coffee-making equipment, among other items. In fiscal 2014, we moved ready-to-drink beverage revenues from the "Food" category to the "Other" category and combined packaged and single-serve teas, which were previously included in the "Other" category, with packaged and single-serve coffees, which are now categorized as "Packaged and single-serve coffees and teas." Additionally, we revised our discount allocation methodology in fiscal 2014 to more precisely allocate sales discounts to the various revenue product categories. None of these changes had a material impact on the composition of our retail sales mix by product type. Stored Value Cards The Starbucks Card and our other branded stored value card programs are designed to provide customers with a convenient payment method, support gifting, and increase the frequency of store visits by cardholders, in part through the related My Starbucks Rewards loyalty program where available, as discussed below. Stored value cards are issued to customers when they initially load them with an account balance. They can be obtained in our company-operated and most licensed stores in North America, China, Brazil, and many of our markets in the EMEA segment, as well as on-line, via the Starbucks mobile app, and through other retailers, including a number of other international locations. Customers may access their card balances by utilizing their stored value card or the Starbucks mobile app in participating stores, which also include certain Teavana and Evolution Fresh locations. Using the Mobile Order and Pay functionality of the Starbucks mobile app, customers can also place orders in advance for pick-up at certain participating locations in the U.S. Customers who register their card in the U.S., Canada, and certain other countries are automatically enrolled in the My Starbucks Rewards program and can receive various benefits depending on factors such as the number of reward points ("Stars") earned in a 12-month period. Refer to Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, included in Item 8 of Part II of this 10-K, for further discussion of our stored value cards and loyalty program. Licensed Stores Revenues from our licensed stores accounted for 10% of total net revenues in fiscal 2015. Licensed stores generally have a lower gross margin and a higher operating margin than company-operated stores. Under the licensed model, Starbucks receives a reduced share of the total store revenues, but this is more than offset by the reduction in our share of costs as these are primarily incurred by the licensee. In our licensed store operations, we leverage the expertise of our local partners and share our operating and store development experience. Licensees provide improved, and at times the only, access to desirable retail space. Most licensees are prominent retailers with in-depth market knowledge and access. As part of these arrangements, we sell coffee, tea, food and related products to licensees for resale to customers and receive royalties and license fees from the licensees. We also sell certain equipment, such as coffee brewers and espresso machines, to our licensees for use in their operations. Employees working in licensed retail locations are required to follow our detailed store operating procedures and attend training classes similar to those given to employees in company-operated stores. For Teavana and Seattle's Best Coffee, as well as Starbucks stores within certain markets, we also use traditional franchising and include these stores in the results of operations from our other licensed stores. Starbucks Corporation 2015 Form 10-K 5 Licensed store data for the year-ended September 27, 2015: Stores Open as of Sep 28, 2014 Stores Open as of Opened Closed Transfers Net Sep 27, 2015 (1) Americas : 4,659 357 (54) 303 4,962 Mexico 434 73 (1) 72 506 Canada 462 23 (136) (113) 349 Other 241 55 19 74 315 5,796 508 (191) 19 336 6,132 South Korea 700 149 (18) 131 831 China 544 244 (3) 241 785 Taiwan 323 41 (8) 33 356 Philippines 240 24 24 264 Japan 1,060 22 (15) Other 625 101 (10) 3,492 581 (54) 285 65 (1) 65 129 414 220 115 87 86 72 67 391 1,323 44 18 21 4 5 8 92 257 (4) (2) (4) (1) (4) (3) (19) (1) 64 40 16 17 3 5 4 88 302 260 131 104 89 77 71 479 1,625 29 13 42 10,653 8 8 1,354 (2) (7) (9) (273) (926) 6 (7) (1) 155 35 6 41 10,808 U.S. Total Americas (2) China/Asia Pacific : Total China/Asia Pacific (1,009) (1,009) (1,002) 58 91 716 (482) 3,010 EMEA: U.K. Turkey United Arab Emirates Russia Spain Kuwait Saudi Arabia Other Total EMEA All Other Segments: Teavana Seattle's Best Coffee Total All Other Segments Total licensed (1) Americas store data includes the closure of 132 Target Canada licensed stores in the second quarter of fiscal 2015. (2) China/Asia Pacific store data includes the transfer of 1,009 Japan stores from licensed stores to company-operated as a result of the acquisition of Starbucks Japan in the first quarter of fiscal 2015. Consumer Packaged Goods Revenues from sales of consumer packaged goods comprised 8% of total net revenues in fiscal 2015. Our consumer packaged goods business includes both domestic and international sales of packaged coffee and tea as well as a variety of ready-to-drink beverages and single-serve coffee and tea products to grocery, warehouse clubs and specialty retail stores. It also includes revenues from product sales to and licensing revenues from manufacturers that produce and market Starbucks-, Seattle's Best Coffee- and Tazo-branded products through licensing agreements. 6 Starbucks Corporation 2015 Form 10-K Foodservice Revenues from foodservice accounts comprised 3% of total net revenues in fiscal 2015. We sell Starbucks and Seattle's Best Coffee roasted whole bean and ground coffees, a selection of premium Tazo teas, Starbucks VIA Ready Brew, and other coffee and tea-related products to institutional foodservice companies that service business and industry, education, healthcare, office coffee distributors, hotels, restaurants, airlines and other retailers. We also sell our Seattle's Best Coffee through arrangements with national accounts. The majority of the sales in this channel come through national broadline distribution networks with SYSCO Corporation, U.S. Foodservice, and other distributors. Product Supply Starbucks is committed to selling the finest whole bean coffees and coffee beverages. To ensure compliance with our rigorous coffee standards, we control coffee purchasing, roasting and packaging, and the global distribution of coffee used in our operations. We purchase green coffee beans from multiple coffee-producing regions around the world and custom roast them to our exacting standards for our many blends and single origin coffees. The price of coffee is subject to significant volatility. Although most coffee trades in the commodity market, high-altitude arabica coffee of the quality sought by Starbucks tends to trade on a negotiated basis at a premium above the "C" coffee commodity price. Both the premium and the commodity price depend upon the supply and demand at the time of purchase. Supply and price can be affected by multiple factors in the producing countries, including weather, natural disasters, crop disease, general increase in farm inputs and costs of production, inventory levels and political and economic conditions. Price is also impacted by trading activities in the arabica coffee futures market, including hedge funds and commodity index funds. In addition, green coffee prices have been affected in the past, and may be affected in the future, by the actions of certain organizations and associations that have historically attempted to influence prices of green coffee through agreements establishing export quotas or by restricting coffee supplies. We buy coffee using fixed-price and price-to-be-fixed purchase commitments, depending on market conditions, to secure an adequate supply of quality green coffee. Price-to-be-fixed contracts are purchase commitments whereby the quality, quantity, delivery period, and other negotiated terms are agreed upon, but the date, and therefore the price, at which the base "C" coffee commodity price component will be fixed has not yet been established. For these types of contracts, either Starbucks or the seller has the option to select a date on which to "fix" the base "C" coffee commodity price prior to the delivery date. Until prices are fixed, we estimate the total cost of these purchase commitments. Total green coffee purchase commitments as of September 27, 2015 were $1.1 billion, comprised of $819 million under fixed-price contracts and an estimated $266 million under price-to-be-fixed contracts. As of September 27, 2015, approximately $38 million of our price-to-be-fixed contracts were effectively fixed through the use of futures contracts. All price-to-be-fixed contracts as of September 27, 2015 were at the Company's option to fix the base "C" coffee commodity price component. Total purchase commitments, together with existing inventory, are expected to provide an adequate supply of green coffee through fiscal 2016. We depend upon our relationships with coffee producers, outside trading companies and exporters for our supply of green coffee. We believe, based on relationships established with our suppliers, the risk of non-delivery on such purchase commitments is remote. To help ensure the future supply of high-quality green coffee, and to reinforce our leadership role in the coffee industry, Starbucks operates seven farmer support centers. The farmer support centers are staffed with agronomists and sustainability experts who work with coffee farming communities to promote best practices in coffee production designed to improve both coffee quality and yields. In addition to coffee, we also purchase significant amounts of dairy products, particularly fluid milk, to support the needs of our company-operated stores. We believe, based on relationships established with our dairy suppliers, that the risk of non-delivery of sufficient fluid milk to support our stores is remote. Products other than whole bean coffees and coffee beverages sold in Starbucks stores include tea and a number of ready-todrink beverages that are purchased from several specialty suppliers, usually under long-term supply contracts. Food products, such as La Boulange pastries, breakfast sandwiches and lunch items, are purchased from national, regional and local sources. As we continue to develop our food program, we expect the amount of food products purchased to become more significant to our operations. We also purchase a broad range of paper and plastic products, such as cups and cutlery, from several companies to support the needs of our retail stores as well as our manufacturing and distribution operations. We believe, based on relationships established with these suppliers and manufacturers, that the risk of material non-delivery of these items is remote. Starbucks Corporation 2015 Form 10-K 7 Competition Our primary competitors for coffee beverage sales are specialty coffee shops and quick-service restaurants. In almost all markets in which we do business, there are numerous competitors in the specialty coffee beverage business. We believe that our customers choose among specialty coffee retailers primarily on the basis of product quality, service and convenience, as well as price. We continue to experience direct competition from large competitors in the U.S. quick-service restaurant sector and the U.S. ready-to-drink coffee beverage market, in addition to well-established companies in many international markets. We also compete with restaurants and other specialty retailers for prime retail locations and qualified personnel to operate both new and existing stores. Our coffee and tea products sold through our Channel Development segment compete directly against specialty coffees and teas sold through grocery stores, warehouse clubs, specialty retailers, convenience stores, and U.S. foodservice accounts and compete indirectly against all other coffees and teas on the market. Trademarks, Copyrights, Patents and Domain Names Starbucks owns and has applied to register numerous trademarks and service marks in the U.S. and in other countries throughout the world. Some of our trademarks, including Starbucks, the Starbucks logo, Tazo, Seattle's Best Coffee, Teavana, Frappuccino, Starbucks VIA, Evolution Fresh and La Boulange are of material importance. The duration of trademark registrations varies from country to country. However, trademarks are generally valid and may be renewed indefinitely as long as they are in use and/or their registrations are properly maintained. We own numerous copyrights for items such as product packaging, promotional materials, in-store graphics and training materials. We also hold patents on certain products, systems and designs. In addition, Starbucks has registered and maintains numerous Internet domain names, including "Starbucks.com," "Starbucks.net," "Tazo.com," "Seattlesbest.com" and "Teavana.com." Seasonality and Quarterly Results Our business is subject to seasonal fluctuations, including fluctuations resulting from the holiday season in December. Excluding the impact of a $2.8 billion cash payment in the first quarter of fiscal 2014 related to the Kraft arbitration matter, our cash flows from operations are considerably higher in the first fiscal quarter than the remainder of the year. This is largely driven by cash received as Starbucks Cards are issued to and loaded by customers during the holiday season. Since revenues from Starbucks Cards are recognized upon redemption and not when cash is loaded onto them, the impact of seasonal fluctuations on the consolidated statements of earnings is much less pronounced. Quarterly results are also affected by the timing of the opening of new stores and the closing of existing stores. For these reasons, results for any quarter are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved for the full fiscal year. Employees Starbucks employed approximately 238,000 people worldwide as of September 27, 2015. In the U.S., Starbucks employed approximately 157,000 people, with approximately 150,000 in company-operated stores and the remainder in support facilities, store development, and roasting, manufacturing, warehousing and distribution operations. Approximately 81,000 employees were employed outside of the U.S., with approximately 78,000 in company-operated stores and the remainder in regional support operations. The number of Starbucks employees represented by unions is not significant. We believe our current relations with our employees are good. Executive Officers of the Registrant Name Age Position Howard Schultz Kevin R. Johnson Cliff Burrows John Culver 62 55 56 55 chairman and chief executive officer president and chief operating officer group president, U.S. and Americas group president, China, Asia Pacific, Channel Development and Emerging Brands Scott Maw Lucy Lee Helm 48 58 executive vice president, chief financial officer executive vice president, general counsel and secretary 8 Starbucks Corporation 2015 Form 10-K Howard Schultz is the founder of Starbucks Corporation and serves as the chairman and chief executive officer. Mr. Schultz has served as chairman of the board of directors since Starbucks inception in 1985, and in January 2008, he reassumed the role of president and chief executive officer. He served as president until March 2015. From June 2000 to February 2005, Mr. Schultz also held the title of chief global strategist. From November 1985 to June 2000, he served as chairman of the board and chief executive officer. From November 1985 to June 1994, Mr. Schultz also served as president. From January 1986 to July 1987, Mr. Schultz was the chairman of the board, chief executive officer and president of Il Giornale Coffee Company, a predecessor to the Company. From September 1982 to December 1985, Mr. Schultz was the director of retail operations and marketing for Starbucks Coffee Company, a predecessor to the Company. Kevin R. Johnson has served as our president and chief operating officer since March 2015 and has been a Starbucks director since March 2009. Mr. Johnson served as Chief Executive Officer of Juniper Networks, Inc., a leading provider of highperformance networking products and services, from September 2008 to December 2013. He also served on the Board of Directors of Juniper Networks from September 2008 through February 2014. Prior to joining Juniper Networks, Mr. Johnson served as President, Platforms and Services Division for Microsoft Corporation, a worldwide provider of software, services and solutions. Mr. Johnson was a member of Microsoft's Senior Leadership Team and held a number of senior executive positions over the course of his 16 years at Microsoft. Prior to joining Microsoft in 1992, Mr. Johnson worked in International Business Machine Corp.'s systems integration and consulting business. Cliff Burrows joined Starbucks in April 2001 and has served as group president, U.S. and Americas since July 2015. From February 2014 to June 2015, he served as group president, U.S., Americas and Teavana. From May 2013 to February 2014, he served as group president, Americas and U.S., EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) and Teavana. Mr. Burrows served as president, Starbucks Coffee Americas and U.S. from October 2011 to May 2013 and as president, Starbucks Coffee U.S. from March 2008 to October 2011. He served as president, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) from April 2006 to March 2008. He served as vice president and managing director, U.K. prior to April 2006. Prior to joining Starbucks, Mr. Burrows served in various management positions with Habitat Designs Limited, a furniture and housewares retailer. John Culver joined Starbucks in August 2002 and has served as group president, China, Asia Pacific, Channel Development and Emerging Brands since May 2013. Mr. Culver served as president, Starbucks Coffee China and Asia Pacific from October 2011 to May 2013. From December 2009 to October 2011, he served as president, Starbucks Coffee International. Mr. Culver served as executive vice president; president, Global Consumer Products, Foodservice and Seattle's Best Coffee from February 2009 to September 2009, and then as president, Global Consumer Products and Foodservice from October 2009 to November 2009. He previously served as senior vice president; president, Starbucks Coffee Asia Pacific from January 2007 to February 2009, and vice president; general manager, Foodservice from August 2002 to January 2007. Scott Maw joined Starbucks in August 2011 and has served as executive vice president, chief financial officer since February 2014. From October 2012 to February 2014, he served as senior vice president, Corporate Finance and as corporate controller from August 2011 to October 2012. Prior to joining Starbucks, Mr. Maw served as chief financial officer of SeaBright Insurance Company from February 2010 to August 2011. From October 2008 to February 2010, Mr. Maw served as chief financial officer of the Consumer Banking division of JPMorgan Chase & Co., having held a similar position at Washington Mutual Bank prior to its acquisition by Chase. From 1994 to 2003, he served in various finance leadership positions at General Electric Company. Lucy Lee Helm joined Starbucks in September 1999 and has served as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary since May 2012. She served as senior vice president and deputy general counsel from October 2007 to April 2012 and served as interim general counsel and secretary from April 2012 to May 2012. Ms. Helm previously served as vice president, assistant general counsel from June 2002 to September 2007 and as director, corporate counsel from September 1999 to May 2002. During her tenure at Starbucks, Ms. Helm has led various teams of the Starbucks legal department, including the Litigation and Brand protection team, the Global Business (Commercial) team and the Litigation and Employment team. Prior to joining Starbucks, Ms. Helm was a principal at the Seattle law firm of Riddell Williams P.S. from 1990 to 1999, where she was a trial lawyer specializing in commercial, insurance coverage and environmental litigation. Global Responsibility We are committed to being a deeply responsible company in the communities where we do business. Our focus is on ethically sourcing high-quality coffee, reducing our environmental impacts and contributing positively to communities around the world. Starbucks Global Responsibility strategy and commitments are integral to our overall business strategy. As a result, we believe we deliver benefits to our stakeholders, including employees, business partners, customers, suppliers, shareholders, community members and others. For an overview of Starbucks Global Responsibility strategy and commitments, please visit www.starbucks.com/responsibility. Starbucks Corporation 2015 Form 10-K 9 Available Information Starbucks 10-K reports, along with all other reports and amendments filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), are publicly available free of charge on the Investor Relations section of our website at investor.starbucks.com or at www.sec.gov as soon as reasonably practicable after these materials are filed with or furnished to the SEC. Our corporate governance policies, code of ethics and Board committee charters and policies are also posted on the Investor Relations section of Starbucks website at investor.starbucks.com. The information on our website is not part of this or any other report Starbucks files with, or furnishes to, the SEC. Item 1A. Risk Factors You should carefully consider the risks described below. If any of the risks and uncertainties described in the cautionary factors described below actually occurs, our business, financial condition and results of operations, and the trading price of our common stock could be materially and adversely affected. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible to predict the impact of all these factors on our business, financial condition or results of operation. Economic conditions in the U.S. and international markets could adversely affect our business and financial results. As a retailer that is dependent upon consumer discretionary spending, our results of operations are sensitive to changes in macro-economic conditions. Our customers may have less money for discretionary purchases and may stop or reduce their purchases of our products or trade down to Starbucks or competitors' lower priced products as a result of job losses, foreclosures, bankruptcies, increased fuel and energy costs, higher interest rates, higher taxes and reduced access to credit. Decreases in customer traffic and/or average value per transaction will negatively impact our financial performance as reduced revenues without a corresponding decrease in expenses result in sales de-leveraging, which creates downward pressure on margins and also negatively impacts comparable store sales, net revenues, operating income and earnings per share. There is also a risk that if negative economic conditions persist for a long period of time or worsen, consumers may make long-lasting changes to their discretionary purchasing behavior, including less frequent discretionary purchases on a more permanent basis. Our success depends substantially on the value of our brands and failure to preserve their value, either through our actions or those of our business partners, could have a negative impact on our financial results. We believe we have built an excellent reputation globally for the quality of our products, for delivery of a consistently positive consumer experience and for our corporate social responsibility programs. The Starbucks brand is recognized throughout the world and we have received high ratings in global brand value studies. To be successful in the future, particularly outside of the U.S., where the Starbucks brand and our other brands are less well-known, we believe we must preserve, grow and leverage the value of our brands across all sales channels. Brand value is based in part on consumer perceptions on a variety of subjective qualities. Additionally, our business strategy, including our plans for new stores, foodservice, branded products and other initiatives, relies significantly on a variety of business partners, including licensee and joint venture relationships, particularly in our international markets, and third party manufacturers, distributors and retailers, particularly in our international Channel Development business. Licensees and foodservice operators are often authorized to use our logos and provide branded beverages, food and other products directly to customers. We provide training and support to, and monitor the operations of, certain of these business partners, but the product quality and service they deliver may be diminished by any number of factors beyond our control, including financial pressures they may face. We believe customers expect the same quality of products and service from our licensees and foodservice providers as they do from us and we strive to ensure customers receive the same quality of products and service experience whether they visit a company-operated store, licensed store or foodservice location. We also source our food, beverage and other products from a wide variety of domestic and international business partners in our supply chain operations, and in certain cases such products are produced or sourced by our licensees directly. Business incidents, whether isolated or recurring and whether originating from us or our business partners, that erode consumer trust, such as actual or perceived breaches of privacy, contaminated food, recalls or other potential incidents discussed in this risk factors section, particularly if the incidents receive considerable publicity, including rapidly through social or digital media, or result in litigation, can significantly reduce brand value and have a negative impact on our financial results. Consumer demand for our products and our brand equity could diminish significantly if we or our licensees or other business partners fail to preserve the quality of our products, are perceived to act in an unethical or socially irresponsible manner, including with respect to the sourcing, content or sale of our products, fail to comply with laws and regulations or fail to deliver a consistently positive consumer experience in each of our markets. Additionally, inconsistent uses of our brand and other of our intellectual property assets, as well as failure to protect our intellectual property, including from unauthorized uses of our brand or other of 10 Starbucks Corporation 2015 Form 10-K our intellectual property assets, can erode consumer trust and our brand value and have a negative impact on our financial results. The unauthorized access, theft or destruction of customer or employee personal, financial or other data or of Starbucks proprietary or confidential information that is stored in our information systems or by third parties on our behalf could impact our reputation and brand and expose us to potential liability and loss of revenues. Our information technology systems, such as those we use for our point-of-sale, web and mobile platforms, including online and mobile payment systems and rewards programs, and for administrative functions, including human resources, payroll, accounting and internal and external communications, as well as the information technology systems of our third party business partners and service providers, can contain personal, financial or other information that is entrusted to us by our customers and employees. Our information technology systems also contain Starbucks proprietary and other confidential information related to our business, such as business plans, product development initiatives and designs. Similar to many other retail companies and because of the prominence of our brand, we have experienced frequent attempts to compromise our information technology systems. To the extent we or a third party were to experience a material breach of our or such third party's information technology systems that result in the unauthorized access, theft, use or destruction of customers' or employees' data or that of the Company stored in such systems, including through cyber-attacks or other external or internal methods, it could result in a material loss of revenues from the potential adverse impact to our reputation and brand, our ability to retain or attract new customers and the potential disruption to our business and plans. Such security breaches also could result in a violation of applicable U.S. and international privacy and other laws, and subject us to private consumer or securities litigation and governmental investigations and proceedings, any of which could result in our exposure to material civil or criminal liability. Our reputation and brand and our ability to attract new customers could also be adversely impacted if we fail, or are perceived to have failed, to properly respond to these incidents. Such failure to properly respond could also result in similar exposure to liability. Significant capital investments and other expenditures could be required to remedy the problem and prevent future breaches, including costs associated with additional security technologies, personnel, experts and credit monitoring services for those whose data has been breached. These costs, which could be material, could adversely impact our results of operations in the period in which they are incurred and may not meaningfully limit the success of future attempts to breach our information technology systems. Media or other reports of existing or perceived security vulnerabilities in our systems or those of our third party business partners or service providers, even if no breach has been attempted or has occurred, can also adversely impact our brand and reputation and materially impact our business. Additionally, the techniques and sophistication used to conduct cyber-attacks and breaches of information technology systems, as well as the sources and targets of these attacks, change frequently and are often not recognized until such attacks are launched or have been in place for a period of time. We continue to make significant investments in technology, third party services and personnel to develop and implement systems and processes that are designed to anticipate cyber-attacks and prevent breaches of our information technology systems or data loss, but these security measures cannot provide assurance that we will be successful in preventing such breaches or data loss. Incidents involving food-borne illnesses, food tampering, food contamination or mislabeling, whether or not accurate, as well as adverse public or medical opinions about the health effects of consuming our products, could harm our business. Instances or reports, whether true or not, of unclean water supply or food-safety issues, such as food-borne illnesses, food tampering, food contamination or mislabeling, either during growing, manufacturing, packaging, storing or preparation, have in the past severely injured the reputations of companies in the food processing, grocery and quick-service restaurant sectors and could affect us as well. Any report linking us to the use of unclean water, food-borne illnesses or food tampering, contamination, mislabeling or other food-safety issues could damage our brand value and severely hurt sales of our food products, including our beverages, and possibly lead to product liability claims, litigation (including class actions) or damages. Clean water is critical to the preparation of coffee and tea beverages and our ability to ensure a clean water supply to our stores can be limited, particularly in some international locations. We are also continuing to incorporate more products in our food lineup that require freezing or refrigeration, including produce (such as fruits and vegetables in our salads and juices), dairy products (such as milk and cheeses) and meats. If customers become ill from food-borne illnesses, tampering, contamination, mislabeling or other food-safety issues, we could be forced to temporarily close some stores and/or supply chain facilities, as well as recall products. In addition, instances of food-safety issues, even those involving solely the restaurants or stores of competitors or of suppliers or distributors (regardless of whether we use or have used those suppliers or distributors), could, by resulting in negative publicity about us or the foodservice industry in general, adversely affect our sales on a regional or global basis. A decrease in customer traffic as a result of food-safety concerns or negative publicity, or as a result of a temporary closure of any of our stores, product recalls or food-safety claims or litigation, could materially harm our business and results of operations. Some of our products contain caffeine, dairy products, sugar and other compounds, the health effects of which are the subject of public scrutiny, including the suggestion that excessive consumption of caffeine, dairy products, sugar and other compounds Starbucks Corporation 2015 Form 10-K 11 can lead to a variety of adverse health effects. Particularly in the U.S., there is increasing consumer awareness of health risks, including obesity, due in part to increased publicity and attention from health organizations, as well as increased consumer litigation based on alleged adverse health impacts of consumption of various food products. While we have a variety of beverage and food items, including items that are coffee-free and have reduced calories, an unfavorable report on the health effects of caffeine or other compounds present in our products, whether accurate or not, or negative publicity or litigation arising from certain health risks could significantly reduce the demand for our beverages and food products and could materially harm our business and results of operations. We rely heavily on information technology in our operations, and any material failure, inadequacy, interruption or security failure of that technology could harm our ability to effectively operate our business and could adversely affect our financial results. We rely heavily on information technology systems across our operations, including for administrative functions, point-of-sale processing and payment in our stores and online, management of our supply chain, Starbucks Cards, online business, mobile technology, including mobile payments and ordering apps, reloads and loyalty functionality and various other processes and transactions. Our ability to effectively manage our business and coordinate the production, distribution and sale of our products depends significantly on the reliability, integrity and capacity of these systems. We also rely on third party providers and platforms for some of these information technology systems and support, including a small number of large third party providers for some of our administrative functions. Additionally, our systems are not fully redundant within a market or across our markets. As a result, we may be unable to use information systems in one market to cover system failures in such market or another market. Although we have security measures in place, they may not be effective in preventing the failure of these systems or platforms to operate effectively and be available. Such failures may be caused by various factors, including power outages, catastrophic events, problems with transitioning to upgraded or replacement systems or platforms, flaws in third party software, errors by our employees or third party service providers, or a breach in the security of these systems or platforms, including through cyber-attacks discussed in more detail in this risk factors section. If our disaster recovery and business continuity plans do not resolve these issues in an effective manner they could cause material negative impacts to our product availability and sales, the efficiency of our operations and our financial results. We may not be successful in implementing important strategic initiatives or effectively managing growth, which may have an adverse impact on our business and financial results. There is no assurance that we will be able to implement important strategic initiatives in accordance with our expectations, which may result in an adverse impact on our business and financial results. These strategic initiatives are designed to create growth, improve our results of operations and drive long-term shareholder value, and include: being an employer of choice and investing in employees to deliver a superior customer experience; building our leadership position around coffee; increasing the scale of the Starbucks store footprint with disciplined global expansion and introducing flexible and unique store formats; creating new occasions in stores across all dayparts with new product offerings; continuing the global growth of our Channel Development business; delivering continued growth in our tea business through the Teavana brand; and driving convenience and brand engagement through our mobile, loyalty and digital capabilities. In addition to other factors listed in this risk factors section, factors that may adversely affect the successful implementation of these initiatives, which could adversely impact our business and financial results, include the following: increases in labor costs, both domestically and internationally, such as general market and minimum wage levels and investing in competitive compensation, increased health care and workers' compensation insurance costs and other benefits to attract and retain high quality employees, whether due to regulatory mandates or changing industry practices; increasing competition in channels in which we operate or seek to operate from new and existing large competitors that sell high-quality specialty coffee beverages; construction cost increases associated with new store openings and remodeling of existing stores; delays in store openings for reasons beyond our control or a lack of desirable real estate locations available for lease at reasonable rates, either of which could keep us from meeting annual store opening targets in the U.S. and internationally; not successfully scaling our supply chain infrastructure as our product offerings increase and as we continue to expand; the ability of our licensee partners to implement our growth platforms and product innovation; 12 Starbucks Corporation 2015 Form 10-K lack of customer acceptance of new products (including due to price increases necessary to cover the costs of new products or higher input costs), brands (such as the global expansion of Teavana) and platforms (such as mobile technology), or customers reducing their demand for our current offerings as new products are introduced; the degree to which we enter into, maintain, develop and are able to negotiate appropriate terms and conditions of, and enforce, commercial and other agreements; not successfully consummating favorable strategic transactions or integrating acquired businesses; and the deterioration in our credit ratings, which could limit the availability of additional financing and increase the cost of obtaining financing to fund our initiatives. Additionally, our Channel Development business is also in part dependent on the level of support our retail business partners provide our products, and in some markets there are only a few retailers. If our retail business partners do not provide sufficient levels of support for our products, which is at their discretion, it could limit our ability to grow our Channel Development business. Also, a relatively small number of licensee partners own a large number of licensed stores. If such licensee partners are not able to access sufficient funds or financing, or are otherwise unable to successfully operate and grow their businesses, including their licensed stores, it could adversely affect our results in the markets in which they operate their licensed stores. Effectively managing growth can be challenging, particularly as we continue to expand into new channels outside the retail store model, increase our focus on our Channel Development and Teavana businesses, and expand into new markets internationally where we must balance the need for flexibility and a degree of autonomy for local management against the need for consistency with our goals, philosophy and standards. Growth can make it increasingly difficult to ensure a consistent supply of high-quality raw materials, to locate and hire sufficient numbers of key employees, to maintain an effective system of internal controls for a globally dispersed enterprise and to train employees worldwide to deliver a consistently high quality product and customer experience. Furthermore, if we are not successful in implementing these strategic initiatives, we may be required to evaluate whether certain assets, including goodwill and other intangibles, have become impaired. In the event we record an impairment charge, it could have a material impact on our financial results. We face intense competition in each of our channels and markets, which could lead to reduced profitability. The specialty coffee market is intensely competitive, including with respect to product quality, innovation, service, convenience, and price, and we face significant and increasing competition in all these areas in each of our channels and markets. Accordingly, we do not have leadership positions in all channels and markets. In the U.S., the ongoing focus by large competitors in the quick-service restaurant sector on selling high-quality specialty coffee beverages could lead to decreases in customer traffic to Starbucks stores and/or average value per transaction adversely affecting our sales and results of operations. Similarly, continued competition from well-established competitors in our international markets could hinder growth and adversely affect our sales and results of operations in those markets. Increased competition in the U.S. packaged coffee and tea and single-serve and ready-to-drink coffee beverage markets, including from new and large entrants to this market, could adversely affect the profitability of the Channel Development segment. Additionally, declines in general consumer demand for specialty coffee products for any reason, including due to consumer preference for other products, could have a negative effect on our business. We are highly dependent on the financial performance of our Americas operating segment. Our financial performance is highly dependent on our Americas operating segment, as it comprised approximately 69% of consolidated total net revenues in fiscal 2015. If the Americas operating segment revenue trends slow or decline, especially in our U.S. and Canada markets, our other segments may be unable to make up any significant shortfall and our business and financial results could be adversely affected. And because the Americas segment is relatively mature and produces the large majority of our operating cash flows, such a slowdown or decline could result in reduced cash flows for funding the expansion of our international business and other initiatives and for returning cash to shareholders. We are increasingly dependent on the success of our CAP and EMEA operating segments in order to achieve our growth targets. Our future growth increasingly depends on the growth and sustained profitability of our CAP and EMEA operating segments. Some or all of our international market business units ("MBUs"), which we generally define by the countries in which they operate, may not be successful in their operations or in achieving expected growth, which ultimately requires achieving consistent, stable net revenues and earnings. The performance of these international operations may be adversely affected by economic downturns in one or more of the countries in which our large MBUs operate. In particular, both our China and Japan MBUs contribute meaningfully to both net revenues and earnings for our CAP segment. In the EMEA segment, our UK MBU accounts for a significant portion of the net revenues. A decline in performance of any of these MBUs could have a material adverse impact on the results of our international operations. Starbucks Corporation 2015 Form 10-K 13 Additionally, some factors that will be critical to the success of the CAP and EMEA segments are different than those affecting our U.S. stores and licensees. Tastes naturally vary by region, and consumers in some MBUs may not embrace our products to the same extent as consumers in the U.S. or other international markets. Occupancy costs and store operating expenses can be higher internationally than in the U.S. due to higher rents for prime store locations or costs of compliance with country-specific regulatory requirements. Because many of our international operations are in an early phase of development, operating expenses as a percentage of related revenues are often higher compared to more developed operations, such as in the U.S. Additionally, our international joint venture partners or licensees may face capital constraints or other factors that may limit the speed at which they are able to expand and develop in a certain market. Our international operations are also subject to additional inherent risks of conducting business abroad, such as: foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, or requirements to transact in specific currencies; changes or uncertainties in economic, legal, regulatory, social and political conditions in our markets; interpretation and application of laws and regulations; restrictive actions of foreign or U.S. governmental authorities affecting trade and foreign investment, especially during periods of heightened tension between the U.S. and such foreign governmental authorities, including protective measures such as export and customs duties and tariffs, government intervention favoring local competitors, and restrictions on the level of foreign ownership; import or other business licensing requirements; the enforceability of intellectual property and contract rights; limitations on the repatriation of funds and foreign currency exchange restrictions due to current or new U.S. and international regulations; in developing economies, the growth rate in the portion of the population achieving sufficient levels of disposable income may not be as fast as we forecast; difficulty in staffing, developing and managing foreign operations and supply chain logistics, including ensuring the consistency of product quality and service, due to governmental actions affecting supply chain logistics, distance, language and cultural differences, as well as challenges in recruiting and retaining high quality employees in local markets; local laws that make it more expensive and complex to negotiate with, retain or terminate employees; delays in store openings for reasons beyond our control, competition with locally relevant competitors or a lack of desirable real estate locations available for lease at reasonable rates, any of which could keep us from meeting annual store opening targets and, in turn, negatively impact net revenues, operating income and earnings per share; and disruption in energy supplies affecting our markets. Moreover, many of the foregoing risks are particularly acute in developing countries, which are important to our long-term growth prospects. Increases in the cost of high-quality arabica coffee beans or other commodities or decreases in the availability of highquality arabica coffee beans or other commodities could have an adverse impact on our business and financial results. We purchase, roast, and sell high-quality whole bean arabica coffee beans and related coffee products. The price of coffee is subject to significant volatility and has and may again increase significantly due to one or more of the factors described below. The high-quality arabica coffee of the quality we seek tends to trade on a negotiated basis at a premium above the "C" price. This premium depends upon the supply and demand at the time of purchase and the amount of the premium can vary significantly. Increases in the "C" coffee commodity price do increase the price of high-quality arabica coffee