Starbucks Cracks Down On Freeloaders As Sales Slide, Stock Stays Bullish Ahead Of Q1 Earnings

Starbucks Corp SBUX is brewing up big changes ahead of its first-quarter earnings.Starting Monday, only paying customers—or those accompanying them—will be allowed to use its cafés, patios, and restrooms. Free water is out, and baristas have been trained to enforce the new rules.The policy shift comes after North American transactions fell 5% in 2024, marking the first annual drop since the pandemic. Analysts expect same-store sales to decline 4.8% when Starbucks reports earnings on Jan. 28, with estimated ...