"Refreshed Designs and Elevated Experiences," Starbucks Stock (NASDAQ:SBUX) Slips as New Stores Planned

In what may be one of coffee giant Starbucks' (SBUX) weirdest developments of 2025, Starbucks announced plans to open several new stores in 2026. That would ordinarily be cause for little concern, but after the year Starbucks had, it is a huge surprise. Starbucks, you see, closed around 400 locations in 2025, so plans to open new ones come out of left field. The strange economic whiplash was not lost on investors, either, who sent Starbucks shares down modestly in Wednesday afternoon's trading.Claim 70% Off TipRanks This Holiday SeasonUnlock hedge fund-level data and powerful investing tools for smarter, sharper decisions Stay ahead of the market with the latest news and analysis and maximize your portfolio's potential Despite the closure of all those stores, Starbucks plans to open several new ones in 2026. However, it also plans to remodel several existing ones, so it seems less like whiplash and more like closing stores that would have required too much to properly remodel. These locations will soon see a panoply of new features, including furniture like chairs, couches and tables. New power outlets will also be on hand. Based on the last time I was in a Starbucks, hopefully more power outlets will also be on hand. Beyond those brass tacks, the remodels will look to offer "…refreshed designs and elevated experiences that reflect the Starbucks brand." …But Reddit Says It's Working Meanwhile, CEO Brian Niccol is getting information from an unexpected source, and seems to be counting on it fairly hard. Niccol did not turn to consultants or customer data to be convinced that the Back to Starbucks plan was working. Rather, a Reddit (RDDT) thread of people interviewing at Starbucks locations made that much oddly clear to him. The thread featured one person who interviewed for a barista job at Starbucks advising others planning to do likewise to be prepared to talk about customer service. This in turn made it clear to Niccol that interviewers are prioritizing customer service when conducting job interviews. Ultimately, this improves the odds that new hires will put their focus on customer service as well, which is in line with Starbucks' "third place" ambitions. Is Starbucks Stock a Good Buy? Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus rating on SBUX stock based on 12 Buys, seven Holds, and two Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 7.51% loss in its share price over the past year, the average SBUX price target of $95 per share implies 12.65% upside potential.