US coffee retailer Starbucks sees much opportunity for expansion in North America but will become increasingly selective in its expansion abroad, according to chief executive Orin Smith.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


“We have the brand in most of the most important markets” overseas, Smith was quoted as saying by Dow Jones News Service. “We will add to markets more selectively than we have in the past,” he added, referring to international expansion plans.


“We’re going to concentrate on growth in existing markets,” Smith said, noting that Starbucks is in 29 countries outside North America. At the same time, however, Smith restated the company’s plans to eventually have 15,000 stores internationally, ten times its current number.

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact