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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
Form 10-K
x ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the Fiscal Year Ended October 2, 2016
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
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
sbuxlogo1022016a02.jpg
Washington
 
91-1325671
(State of Incorporation)
 
(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
 
Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share
 
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  x    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  x
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  x    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  x    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.   x
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
x
Accelerated filer
¨

Non-accelerated filer
¨ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
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  x
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 27, 2016 as reported on the NASDAQ Global Select Market was $83 billion. As of November 11, 2016, there were 1,455.4 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 22, 2017 have been incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.


Table of Contents

STARBUCKS CORPORATION
Form 10-K
For the Fiscal Year Ended October 2, 2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I
Item 1
Item 1A
Item 1B
Item 2
Item 3
Item 4
PART II
Item 5
Item 6
Item 7
Item 7A
Item 8
 
 
Item 9
Item 9A
Item 9B
PART III
Item 10
Item 11
Item 12
Item 13
Item 14
PART IV
Item 15
 


Table of Contents

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.



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Table of Contents

PART I
Item 1. Business
General
Starbucks is the premier roaster, marketer and retailer of specialty coffee in the world, operating in 75 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, diverse channels and alternative store formats. We also believe our Starbucks Global Responsibility strategy, commitments related to ethically sourcing high-quality coffee, 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 October 2, 2016 ("fiscal 2016"), 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 non-reportable operating segments, including Teavana, Seattle's Best Coffee and Evolution Fresh, as well as certain developing businesses such as the Starbucks Reserve® Roastery & Tasting Rooms, 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 2016 were as follows: Americas (69%), CAP (14%), EMEA (5%), 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. The Americas, CAP and EMEA segments also include certain foodservice accounts, primarily in Canada, Japan 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.


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Table of Contents

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 October 2, 2016

 
Americas
 
As a% of 
Total
Americas Stores
 
CAP
 
As a% of 
Total
CAP
Stores
 
EMEA
 
As a% of 
Total
EMEA Stores
 
All Other Segments
 
As a% of 
Total
All Other Segments Stores
 
Total
 
As a% of
Total 
Stores
Company-operated stores
9,019

 
58
%
 
2,811

 
44
%
 
523

 
20
%
 
358

 
91
%
 
12,711

 
51
%
Licensed stores
6,588

 
42
%
 
3,632

 
56
%
 
2,119

 
80
%
 
35

 
9
%
 
12,374

 
49
%
Total
15,607

 
100
%
 
6,443

 
100
%
 
2,642

 
100
%
 
393

 
100
%
 
25,085

 
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 2016. 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.

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Company-operated store data for the year-ended October 2, 2016:
 
Stores Open
as of
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stores Open
as of
 
Sep 27, 2015
 
Opened
 
Closed
 
Transfers
 
Net
 
Oct 2, 2016
Americas:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S.
7,559

 
358

 
(37
)
 

 
321

 
7,880

Canada
1,009

 
45

 
(19
)
 

 
26

 
1,035

Brazil
103

 
3

 
(2
)
 

 
1

 
104

Total Americas
8,671

 
406

 
(58
)
 

 
348

 
9,019

China/Asia Pacific:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
China
1,026

 
253

 
(7
)
 

 
246

 
1,272

Japan
1,073

 
85

 
(18
)
 

 
67

 
1,140

Thailand
237

 
38

 
(2
)
 

 
36

 
273

Singapore
116

 
13

 
(3
)
 

 
10

 
126

Total China/Asia Pacific
2,452

 
389

 
(30
)
 

 
359

 
2,811

EMEA(1):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.K.
428

 
3

 
(12
)
 
(53
)
 
(62
)
 
366

France
76

 

 
(2
)
 

 
(2
)
 
74

Switzerland
56

 
1

 
(1
)
 

 

 
56

Austria
18

 

 
(1
)
 

 
(1
)
 
17

Netherlands
10

 

 

 

 

 
10

Germany
149

 
1

 
(3
)
 
(147
)
 
(149
)
 

Total EMEA
737

 
5

 
(19
)
 
(200
)
 
(214
)
 
523

All Other Segments:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Teavana
371

 
3

 
(19
)
 

 
(16
)
 
355

Evolution Fresh
3

 

 
(1
)
 

 
(1
)
 
2

Starbucks Reserve® Roastery & Tasting Rooms
1

 

 

 

 

 
1

Total All Other Segments
375

 
3

 
(20
)
 

 
(17
)
 
358

Total company-operated
12,235


803


(127
)

(200
)

476


12,711

(1) 
EMEA store data includes the transfer of 144 Germany company-operated retail stores to licensed stores as a result of the sale to AmRest Holdings SE in the third quarter of fiscal 2016.
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 stores, inclusive of Drive Thru formats that provide a higher degree of access and convenience, and alternative store formats, which are focused on an elevated Starbucks Experience 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 beverage-making 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.

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Table of Contents

Retail sales mix by product type for company-operated stores:
Fiscal Year Ended
Oct 2,
2016
 
Sep 27,
2015
 
Sep 28,
2014
Beverages
74
%
 
73
%
 
73
%
Food
19
%
 
19
%
 
18
%
Packaged and single-serve coffees and teas
3
%
 
3
%
 
4
%
Other(1)
4
%
 
5
%
 
5
%
Total
100
%
 
100
%
 
100
%
(1) 
"Other" primarily consists of sales of ready-to-drink beverages, serveware and coffee-making equipment, among other items.
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 Starbucks Rewards (previously 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, Japan, 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. and Canada. Customers who register their card in the U.S., Canada, and certain other countries are automatically enrolled in the Starbucks Rewards program and can receive various benefits depending on factors such as the number of reward points ("Stars") earned. 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 2016. 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 Starbucks® stores within certain international markets, we also use traditional franchising and include these stores in the results of operations from our other licensed stores.

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Licensed store data for the year-ended October 2, 2016:
 
Stores Open
as of
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stores Open
as of
 
Sep 27, 2015
 
Opened
 
Closed
 
Transfers
 
Net
 
Oct 2, 2016
Americas:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S.
4,962

 
430

 
(100
)
 

 
330

 
5,292

Mexico
506

 
58

 
(1
)
 

 
57

 
563

Canada
349

 
23

 
(8
)
 

 
15

 
364

Other
315

 
55

 
(1
)
 

 
54

 
369

Total Americas
6,132

 
566

 
(110
)
 

 
456

 
6,588

China/Asia Pacific:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
China
785

 
330

 
(5
)
 

 
325

 
1,110

South Korea
831

 
129

 
(8
)
 

 
121

 
952

Taiwan
356

 
45

 
(9
)
 

 
36

 
392

Philippines
264

 
29

 

 

 
29

 
293

Indonesia
214

 
48

 
(2
)
 

 
46

 
260

Malaysia
199

 
28

 
(1
)
 

 
27

 
226

Other
361

 
51

 
(13
)
 

 
38

 
399

Total China/Asia Pacific
3,010

 
660

 
(38
)
 

 
622

 
3,632

EMEA(1):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.K.
414

 
71

 
(6
)
 
53

 
118

 
532

Turkey
260

 
63

 
(9
)
 

 
54

 
314

United Arab Emirates
131

 
18

 
(1
)
 

 
17

 
148

Germany
10

 
6

 
(2
)
 
147

 
151

 
161

Russia
104

 
6

 
(3
)
 

 
3

 
107

Spain
89

 
8

 
(1
)
 

 
7

 
96

Kuwait
77

 
19

 
(1
)
 

 
18

 
95

Saudi Arabia
71

 
24

 
(3
)
 

 
21

 
92

Other
469

 
118

 
(13
)
 

 
105

 
574

Total EMEA
1,625

 
333

 
(39
)
 
200

 
494

 
2,119

All Other Segments:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Teavana
35

 

 
(1
)
 

 
(1
)
 
34

Seattle's Best Coffee
6

 

 
(5
)
 

 
(5
)
 
1

Total All Other Segments
41

 

 
(6
)
 

 
(6
)
 
35

Total licensed
10,808


1,559


(193
)

200


1,566


12,374

(1)
EMEA store data includes the transfer of 144 Germany company-operated retail stores to licensed stores as a result of the sale to AmRest Holdings SE in the third quarter of fiscal 2016.
Consumer Packaged Goods
Revenues from sales of consumer packaged goods comprised 8% of total net revenues in fiscal 2016. 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.


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Foodservice
Revenues from foodservice accounts comprised 3% of total net revenues in fiscal 2016. 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 most contracts, either Starbucks or the seller has the option to "fix" the base "C" coffee commodity price prior to the delivery date. For other contracts, Starbucks and the seller may agree upon pricing parameters determined by the base "C" coffee commodity price. Until prices are fixed, we estimate the total cost of these purchase commitments. Total green coffee purchase commitments as of October 2, 2016 were $1.1 billion, comprised of $466 million under fixed-price contracts and an estimated $641 million under price-to-be-fixed contracts. As of October 2, 2016, approximately $7 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 October 2, 2016 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 2017.
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 eight 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-to-drink 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. Our food program continues to develop, and we expect the amount of food products purchased to impact 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 non-delivery of sufficient amounts of these items is remote.

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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 moderate seasonal fluctuations, of which our fiscal second quarter typically experiences lower revenues and operating income. Additionally, as Starbucks Cards are issued to and loaded by customers during the holiday season, we tend to have higher cash flows from operations during the first quarter of the fiscal year. However, since revenues from Starbucks Cards are recognized upon redemption and not when cash is loaded onto the Card, the impact of seasonal fluctuations on the consolidated statements of earnings is much less pronounced. As a result of moderate seasonal fluctuations, results for any quarter are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved for the full fiscal year.
Employees
Starbucks employed approximately 254,000 people worldwide as of October 2, 2016. In the U.S., Starbucks employed approximately 170,000 people, with approximately 162,000 in company-operated stores and the remainder in support facilities, store development, and roasting, manufacturing, warehousing and distribution operations. Approximately 84,000 employees were employed outside of the U.S., with approximately 81,000 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
 
63
 
chairman and chief executive officer
Kevin R. Johnson
 
56
 
president and chief operating officer
Cliff Burrows
 
57
 
group president, Siren Retail
John Culver
 
56
 
group president, Starbucks Global Retail
Scott Maw
 
49
 
executive vice president, chief financial officer
Lucy Lee Helm
 
59
 
executive vice president, general counsel and secretary

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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 high-performance 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, Siren Retail, since September 2016, which includes the Starbucks Reserve® Roastery & Tasting Rooms and the Teavana specialty retail business. From July 2015 to September 2016, he served as group president, U.S. and Americas. 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, 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, Starbucks Global Retail since September 2016. From May 2013 to September 2016, he served as group president, China, Asia Pacific, Channel Development and Emerging Brands. 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

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members and others. For an overview of Starbucks Global Responsibility strategy and commitments, please visit www.starbucks.com/responsibility.

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 operations.

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 food, beverage 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 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 or a licensed store. 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. And although foodservice operators are authorized to use our logos and provide branded products as part of their foodservice business, we do not monitor the quality of non-Starbucks products served in those locations.
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, store employees or other food handlers infected with communicable diseases, product 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, and failure to respond appropriately to these incidents, can significantly reduce brand value and have a negative impact on our financial

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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 or the use of customer data, fail to comply with laws and regulations or fail to deliver a consistently positive consumer experience in each of our markets, including by failing to invest in the right balance of wages and benefits to attract and retain employees that represent the brand well. 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 our intellectual property assets, can erode consumer trust and our brand value and have a negative impact on our financial results.

Incidents involving food or beverage-borne illnesses, tampering, 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 or beverage-borne illnesses, tampering, contamination or mislabeling, either during growing, manufacturing, packaging, storing or preparation, have in the past severely injured the reputations of companies in the food and beverage processing, grocery and quick-service restaurant sectors and could affect us as well. Any report linking us to the use of unclean water, food or beverage-borne illnesses, tampering, contamination, mislabeling or other food or beverage-safety issues could damage our brand value and severely hurt sales of our food and beverage products and possibly lead to product liability claims, litigation (including class actions) or damages. Clean water is critical to the preparation of coffee, tea and other 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 and beverage 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), non-dairy alternative products (such as soymilk and almondmilk) and meats. Additionally, we are evolving our product lineup to include more local or smaller suppliers for some of our products who may not have as rigorous quality and safety systems and protocols as larger or more national suppliers. If customers become ill from food or beverage-borne illnesses, tampering, contamination, mislabeling or other food or beverage-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 or beverage-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 or beverage-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 and allergens, the health effects of which are the subject of public and regulatory scrutiny, including the suggestion that excessive consumption of caffeine, dairy products, sugar and other compounds 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 and beverage 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.

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

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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 to prevent or minimize 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.

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, and many of these systems are interdependent on one another for their functionality. Our ability to effectively manage our business and coordinate the production, distribution, administration 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. Additionally, our systems hardware, software and services provided by third party service providers are not fully redundant within a market or across our markets. Although we have operational safeguards 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, inadequate or ineffective redundancy, problems with transitioning to upgraded or replacement systems or platforms, flaws in third party software or services, 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 incident response, 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, including through the development of Starbucks Reserve® Roasteries and Starbucks Reserve® stores;
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, including our growing lunch food and beverage product lineup;
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

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benefits to attract and retain high quality employees with the right skill sets, whether due to regulatory mandates, changing industry practices or our expansion into new channels or technology dependent operations;
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;
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 2016. 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.


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We are increasingly dependent on the success of certain international markets in order to achieve our growth targets.
Our future growth increasingly depends on the growth and sustained profitability of certain international markets. 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 consolidated and CAP net revenues and earnings. A decline in performance of one or more of our significant international MBUs could have a material adverse impact on our consolidated results.
Additionally, some factors that will be critical to the success of our international operations 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 high-quality 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 and also impact our ability to enter into fixed-price purchase commitments. We frequently enter into supply contracts whereby the quality, quantity, delivery period, and other negotiated terms are agreed upon, but the date, and therefore price, at which the base "C" coffee commodity price component will be fixed has not yet been established. These are known as price-to-be-fixed contracts. The supply and price of coffee we purchase can also be affected by multiple factors in the producing countries, including

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weather, natural disasters, crop disease, general increase in farm inputs and costs of production, inventory levels and political and economic conditions, as well as 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. Speculative trading in coffee commodities can also influence coffee prices. Because of the significance of coffee beans to our operations, combined with our ability to only partially mitigate future price risk through purchasing practices and hedging activities, increases in the cost of high-quality arabica coffee beans could have an adverse impact on our profitability. In addition, if we are not able to purchase sufficient quantities of green coffee due to any of the above factors or to a worldwide or regional shortage, we may not be able to fulfill the demand for our coffee, which could have an adverse impact on our profitability.
We also purchase significant amounts of dairy products, particularly fluid milk, to support the needs of our company-operated retail stores. Additionally, and although less significant to our operations than coffee or dairy, other commodities, including but not limited to tea and those related to food and beverage inputs, such as cocoa, produce, baking ingredients, meats, eggs and energy, as well as the processing of these inputs, are important to our operations. Increases in the cost of dairy products and other commodities, or lack of availability, whether due to supply shortages, delays or interruptions in processing, or otherwise, especially in international markets, could have an adverse impact on our profitability.

Our financial condition and results of operations are sensitive to, and may be adversely affected by, a number of factors, many of which are largely outside our control.
Our operating results have been in the past and will continue to be subject to a number of factors, many of which are largely outside our control. Any one or more of the factors listed below or described elsewhere in this risk factors section could adversely impact our business, financial condition and/or results of operations:
increases in real estate costs in certain domestic and international markets;
adverse outcomes of litigation; and
especially in our larger or fast growing markets, labor discord, war, terrorism (including incidents targeting us), political instability, boycotts, social unrest, and natural disasters, including health pandemics that lead to avoidance of public places or restrictions on public gatherings such as in our stores.

Interruption of our supply chain could affect our ability to produce or deliver our products and could negatively impact our business and profitability.
Any material interruption in our supply chain, such as material interruption of roasted coffee supply due to the casualty loss of any of our roasting plants, interruptions in service by our third party logistic service providers or common carriers that ship goods within our distribution channels, trade restrictions, such as increased tariffs or quotas, embargoes or customs restrictions, or natural disasters that cause a material disruption in our supply chain could negatively impact our business and our profitability.
Additionally, our food, beverage and other products are sourced from a wide variety of domestic and international business partners in our supply chain operations, and in certain cases are produced or sourced by our licensees directly. We rely on these suppliers and vendors to provide high quality products and to comply with applicable laws. Our ability to find qualified suppliers and vendors who meet our standards and supply products in a timely and efficient manner is a significant challenge, especially with respect to goods sourced from outside the U.S., especially countries or regions with diminished infrastructure, developing or failing economies or experiencing political instability or social unrest. For certain products, we may rely on one or very few suppliers or vendors. A vendor's or supplier's failure to meet our standards, provide products in a timely and efficient manner, or comply with applicable laws is beyond our control. These issues, especially for those products for which we rely on one or few suppliers or vendors, could negatively impact our business and profitability.

Failure to meet market expectations for our financial performance and fluctuations in the stock market as a whole will likely adversely affect the market price and volatility of our stock.
Failure to meet market expectations going forward, particularly with respect to operating margins, earnings per share, comparable store sales, operating cash flows, and net revenues, will likely result in a decline and/or increased volatility in the market price of our stock. In addition, price and volume fluctuations in the stock market as a whole may affect the market price of our stock in ways that may be unrelated to our financial performance.

The loss of key personnel or difficulties recruiting and retaining qualified personnel could adversely impact our business and financial results.
Much of our future success depends on the continued availability and service of senior management personnel. The loss of any of our executive officers or other key senior management personnel could harm our business. We must continue to recruit, retain and motivate management and other employees sufficiently, both to maintain our current business and to execute our

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strategic initiatives, some of which involve ongoing expansion in business channels outside of our traditional company-operated store model. Our success also depends substantially on the contributions and abilities of our retail store employees whom we rely on to give customers a superior in-store experience and elevate our brand. Accordingly, our performance depends on our ability to recruit and retain high quality employees to work in and manage our stores, both domestically and internationally. If we are unable to recruit, retain and motivate employees sufficiently to maintain our current business and support our projected growth, our business and financial performance may be adversely affected.

Failure to comply with applicable laws and changing legal and regulatory requirements could harm our business and financial results.
Our policies and procedures are designed to comply with all applicable laws, accounting and reporting requirements, tax rules and other regulations and requirements, including those imposed by the SEC, NASDAQ, and foreign countries, as well as applicable trade, labor, healthcare, privacy, food and beverage, labeling, anti-bribery and corruption and merchandise laws. The complexity of the regulatory environment in which we operate and the related cost of compliance are both increasing due to additional or changing legal and regulatory requirements, our ongoing expansion into new markets and new channels, and the fact that foreign laws occasionally conflict with domestic laws. In addition to potential damage to our reputation and brand, failure by us or our business partners to comply with the various laws and regulations, as well as changes in laws and regulations or the manner in which they are interpreted or applied, may result in litigation, civil and criminal liability, damages, fines and penalties, increased cost of regulatory compliance and restatements of our financial statements.
Item 1B.
Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 2.
Properties
The significant properties used by Starbucks in connection with its roasting, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution and corporate administrative operations, serving all segments, are as follows:
Location
Approximate Size
in Square Feet
 
Purpose
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
265,000

 
Manufacturing
Stratford, CT
196,000

 
Warehouse and distribution
Augusta, GA
131,000

 
Manufacturing
Minden, NV (Carson Valley)
360,000

 
Roasting and distribution
York, PA
2,098,000

 
Roasting, distribution and warehouse
Gaston, SC (Sandy Run)
117,000

 
Roasting and distribution
Lebanon, TN
680,000

 
Warehouse and distribution
Auburn, WA
491,000

 
Warehouse and distribution
Kent, WA
510,000

 
Roasting and distribution
Seattle, WA
1,135,000

 
Corporate administrative
Shanghai, China
116,000

 
Corporate administrative
Amsterdam, Netherlands
97,000

 
Roasting and distribution
Samutprakarn, Thailand
81,000

 
Warehouse and distribution
We own most of our roasting facilities and lease the majority of our warehousing and distribution locations. As of October 2, 2016, Starbucks had 12,711 company-operated stores, almost all of which are leased. We also lease space in various locations worldwide for regional, district and other administrative offices, training facilities and storage. In addition to the locations listed above, we hold inventory at various locations managed by third-party warehouses.
Item 3.
Legal Proceedings
See Note 15, Commitments and Contingencies, to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this 10-K for information regarding certain legal proceedings in which we are involved.
Item 4.
Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.

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PART II
Item 5. Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION
MARKET INFORMATION AND DIVIDEND POLICY
Starbucks common stock is traded on NASDAQ, under the symbol "SBUX."
The following table shows the quarterly high and low sale prices per share of Starbucks common stock as reported by NASDAQ for each quarter during the last two fiscal years and the quarterly cash dividend declared per share of our common stock during the periods indicated, as adjusted to give effect to the two-for-one stock split discussed in Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, included in Item 8 of Part II of this 10-K:
 
High
 
Low
 
Cash Dividends
Declared
Fiscal 2016:
 
 
 
 
 
Fourth Quarter
$
58.84

 
$
52.90

 
$
0.25

Third Quarter
61.64

 
54.01

 
0.20

Second Quarter
61.79

 
52.63

 
0.20

First Quarter
64.00

 
54.81

 
0.20

Fiscal 2015:
 
 
 
 
 
Fourth Quarter
$
59.32

 
$
42.05

 
$
0.20

Third Quarter
54.75

 
46.28

 
0.16

Second Quarter
49.60

 
39.28

 
0.16

First Quarter
42.10

 
35.39

 
0.16

As of November 11, 2016, we had approximately 18,100 shareholders of record. This does not include persons whose stock is in nominee or "street name" accounts through brokers.
Future decisions to pay cash dividends continue to be at the discretion of the Board of Directors and will be dependent on our operating performance, financial condition, capital expenditure requirements and other factors that the Board of Directors considers relevant.
ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
The following table provides information regarding repurchases of our common stock during the quarter ended October 2, 2016:
 
 
Total
Number of
Shares
Purchased
 
Average
Price
Paid per
Share
 
Total Number
of Shares
Purchased as
Part of Publicly
Announced
Plans or
Programs
(2)
 
Maximum
Number of
Shares that May
Yet Be
Purchased
Under the Plans
or Programs
(3)
Period(1)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
June 27, 2016 — July 24, 2016
 

 
$

 

 
125,119,308

July 25, 2016 — August 21, 2016
 
4,660,655

 
55.92

 
4,660,655

 
120,458,653

August 22, 2016 — October 2, 2016
 
2,609,092

 
55.43

 
2,609,092

 
117,849,561

Total
 
7,269,747

 
$
55.74

 
7,269,747

 
 
(1) 
Monthly information is presented by reference to our fiscal months during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016.
(2) 
Share repurchases are conducted under our ongoing share repurchase program announced in September 2001, which has no expiration date.
(3) 
This column includes the total number of shares authorized for repurchase under the Company's ongoing share repurchase program and includes the additional 100 million shares authorized for repurchase as announced on April 21, 2016. Shares under our ongoing share repurchase program may be repurchased in open market transactions, including

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pursuant to a trading plan adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or through privately negotiated transactions. The timing, manner, price and amount of repurchases will be determined at the Company's discretion, and the share repurchase program may be suspended, terminated or modified at any time for any reason.
Performance Comparison Graph
The following graph depicts the total return to shareholders from October 2, 2011 through October 2, 2016, relative to the performance of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, the NASDAQ Composite Index and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Consumer Discretionary Sector, a peer group that includes Starbucks. All indices shown in the graph have been reset to a base of 100 as of October 2, 2011, and assume an investment of $100 on that date and the reinvestment of dividends paid since that date. The stock price performance shown in the graph is not necessarily indicative of future price performance.
sbux-1022016_chart.jpg
 
Oct 2, 2011
 
Sep 30, 2012
 
Sep 29, 2013
 
Sep 28, 2014
 
Sep 27, 2015
 
Oct 2, 2016
Starbucks Corporation
$
100.00

 
$
137.95

 
$
213.36

 
$
210.33

 
$
328.99

 
$
311.36

S&P 500
100.00

 
130.20

 
155.39

 
186.05

 
184.91

 
213.44

NASDAQ Composite
100.00

 
131.89

 
163.47

 
195.96

 
202.60

 
234.66

S&P Consumer Discretionary
100.00

 
136.64

 
180.14

 
201.34

 
227.88

 
249.84


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Item 6.
Selected Financial Data
The following selected financial data is derived from the consolidated financial statements. All per-share data has been retroactively adjusted to give effect to the two-for-one stock split discussed in Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, included in Item 8 of Part II of this 10-K. The data below should be read in conjunction with "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," "Risk Factors," and the consolidated financial statements and notes.
Financial Information (in millions, except per share data):
 
As of and for the Fiscal Year Ended (1)
Oct 2,
2016
(53 Wks)
 
Sep 27,
2015
(52 Wks)
 
 Sep 28,
2014
(52 Wks)
 
Sep 29,
2013
(52 Wks)
 
Sep 30,
2012
(52 Wks)
 
 
Results of Operations
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net revenues:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Company-operated stores
$
16,844.1

 
$
15,197.3

 
$
12,977.9

 
$
11,793.2

 
$
10,534.5

 
Licensed stores
2,154.2

 
1,861.9

 
1,588.6

 
1,360.5

 
1,210.3

 
CPG, foodservice and other
2,317.6

 
2,103.5

 
1,881.3

 
1,713.1

 
1,532.0

 
Total net revenues
$
21,315.9

 
$
19,162.7

 
$
16,447.8

 
$
14,866.8

 
$
13,276.8

 
Operating income/(loss)(2)
$
4,171.9

 
$
3,601.0

 
$
3,081.1

 
$
(325.4
)
 
$
1,997.4

 
Net earnings including noncontrolling interests(2)
2,818.9

 
2,759.3

 
2,067.7

 
8.8

 
1,384.7

 
Net earnings/(loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests
1.2

 
1.9

 
(0.4
)
 
0.5

 
0.9

 
Net earnings attributable to Starbucks(2)
2,817.7

 
2,757.4

 
2,068.1

 
8.3

 
1,383.8

 
EPS — diluted(2)
1.90

 
1.82

 
1.35

 
0.01

 
0.90

 
Cash dividends declared per share
0.850

 
0.680

 
0.550

 
0.445

 
0.360

 
Net cash provided by operating activities
4,575.1

 
3,749.1

 
607.8

 
2,908.3

 
1,750.3

 
Capital expenditures (additions to property, plant and equipment)
1,440.3

 
1,303.7

 
1,160.9

 
1,151.2

 
856.2

 
Balance Sheet
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total assets(3)
$
14,329.5

 
$
12,416.3

 
$
10,752.0

 
$
11,516.0

 
$
8,217.6

 
Long-term debt (including current portion)
3,602.2

 
2,347.5

 
2,048.3

 
1,299.4

 
549.6

 
Shareholders’ equity
5,884.0

 
5,818.0

 
5,272.0

 
4,480.2

 
5,109.0

(1) 
Our fiscal year ends on the Sunday closest to September 30. The fiscal year ended on October 2, 2016 included 53 weeks, with the 53rd week falling in our fourth fiscal quarter.
(2) 
Fiscal 2013 results include a pretax charge of $2,784.1 million resulting from the conclusion of our arbitration with Kraft Foods Global, Inc. The impact of this charge to net earnings attributable to Starbucks and diluted EPS, net of the related tax benefit, was $1,713.1 million and $1.12 per share, respectively.
(3) 
Total assets for fiscal 2012 through fiscal 2015 have been adjusted for the adoption of new accounting guidance related to the reclassification of deferred income taxes as discussed in Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.

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Comparable Store Sales:
 
Fiscal Year Ended
Oct 2,
2016
 
Sep 27,
2015
 
 Sep 28,
2014
 
Sep 29,
2013
 
Sep 30,
2012
 
 
Percentage change in comparable store sales(1)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Americas
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sales growth
6
%
 
7
%
 
6
%
 
7
 %
 
8
%
 
Change in transactions
1
%
 
3
%
 
2
%
 
5
 %
 
6
%
 
Change in ticket
5
%
 
4
%
 
3
%
 
2
 %
 
2
%
 
China/Asia Pacific(2)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sales growth
3
%
 
9
%
 
7
%
 
9
 %
 
15
%
 
Change in transactions
1
%
 
8
%
 
6
%
 
7
 %
 
11
%
 
Change in ticket
2
%
 
1
%
 
%
 
2
 %
 
3
%
 
EMEA
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sales growth
%
 
4
%
 
5
%
 
 %
 
%
 
Change in transactions
1
%
 
2
%
 
3
%
 
2
 %
 
%
 
Change in ticket
%
 
1
%
 
2
%
 
(2
)%
 
%
 
Consolidated
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sales growth
5
%
 
7
%
 
6
%
 
7
 %
 
7
%
 
Change in transactions
1
%
 
3
%
 
3
%
 
5
 %
 
6
%
 
Change in ticket
4
%
 
4
%
 
3
%
 
2
 %
 
1
%
(1) 
Includes only Starbucks® company-operated stores open 13 months or longer. Comparable store sales exclude the effect of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. For fiscal year 2016, comparable store sales percentages were calculated excluding the 53rd week.
(2) 
Beginning in December of fiscal 2016, comparable store sales include the results of the 1,009 company-operated stores acquired as part of the acquistion of Starbucks Japan in the first quarter of fiscal 2015.

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Store Count Data:
 
As of and for the Fiscal Year Ended
Oct 2,
2016
(53 Wks)
 
Sep 27,
2015
(52 Wks)
 
 Sep 28,
2014
(52 Wks)
 
Sep 29,
2013
(52 Wks)
 
Sep 30,
2012
(52 Wks)
 
 
Net stores opened/(closed) and transferred during the year:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Americas(1)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Company-operated stores
348

 
276

 
317

 
276

 
228

 
Licensed stores
456

 
336

 
381

 
404

 
280

 
China/Asia Pacific (2)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Company-operated stores
359

 
1,320

 
250

 
239

 
152

 
Licensed stores
622

 
(482
)
 
492

 
349

 
296

 
EMEA(3)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Company-operated stores
(214
)
 
(80
)
 
(9
)
 
(29
)
 
10

 
Licensed stores
494

 
302

 
180

 
129

 
101

 
All Other Segments (4)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Company-operated stores
(17
)
 
6

 
12

 
343

 

 
Licensed stores
(6
)
 
(1
)
 
(24
)
 
(10
)
 
(4
)
 
Total
2,042

 
1,677

 
1,599

 
1,701

 
1,063

 
Stores open at year end:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Americas (1)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Company-operated stores
9,019

 
8,671

 
8,395

 
8,078

 
7,802

 
Licensed stores
6,588

 
6,132

 
5,796

 
5,415

 
5,011

 
China/Asia Pacific(2)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Company-operated stores
2,811

 
2,452

 
1,132

 
882

 
643

 
Licensed stores
3,632

 
3,010

 
3,492

 
3,000

 
2,651

 
EMEA(3)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Company-operated stores
523

 
737

 
817

 
826

 
855

 
Licensed stores
2,119

 
1,625

 
1,323

 
1,143

 
1,014

 
All Other Segments (4)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Company-operated stores
358

 
375

 
369

 
357

 
14

 
Licensed stores
35

 
41

 
42

 
66

 
76

 
Total
25,085

 
23,043

 
21,366

 
19,767

 
18,066

(1) 
Americas store data has been adjusted for the sale of store locations in Chile to a joint venture partner in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 by reclassifying historical information from company-operated stores to licensed stores, and to exclude Seattle's Best Coffee and Evolution Fresh, which are reported within All Other Segments. Americas store data also includes the closure of 132 Target Canada licensed stores in the second quarter of fiscal 2015.
(2) 
China/Asia Pacific store data has been adjusted for the transfer of certain company-operated stores to licensed stores in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014. China/Asia Pacific store data also 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.
(3) 
EMEA store data has been adjusted for the transfer of certain company-operated stores to licensed stores in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012 and in the second and fourth quarters of fiscal 2014. EMEA store data also includes the transfer of 144 Germany company-operated retail stores to licensed stores as a result of the sale to AmRest Holdings SE in the third quarter of fiscal 2016.
(4) 
All Other Segments store data includes 337 Teavana® stores acquired in the second quarter of fiscal 2013.

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Item 7.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
General
Our fiscal year ends on the Sunday closest to September 30. The fiscal year ended on October 2, 2016 included 53 weeks, with the extra week falling in our fourth fiscal quarter. Fiscal years ended on September 27, 2015 and September 28, 2014 both included 52 weeks. Comparable store sales percentages below are calculated excluding the 53rd week. All references to store counts, including data for new store openings, are reported net of related store closures, unless otherwise noted.
Financial Highlights
Total net revenues increased 11% to $21.3 billion in fiscal 2016 compared to $19.2 billion in fiscal 2015.
Global comparable store sales grew 5% driven by a 4% increase in average ticket and a 1% increase in the number of transactions.
Consolidated operating income increased to $4.2 billion in fiscal 2016 compared to operating income of $3.6 billion in fiscal 2015. Fiscal 2016 operating margin was 19.6% compared to 18.8% in fiscal 2015. Operating margin expansion in fiscal 2016 was primarily driven by sales leverage and lower commodity costs, partially offset by investments in partners (employees) and digital platforms.
Earnings per share ("EPS") for fiscal 2016 increased to $1.90 and included $0.06 per share for the extra week in fiscal 2016. Fiscal 2015 EPS was $1.82 and included $0.26 per share from the gain on the fair value adjustment of our preexisting equity interest in Starbucks Japan upon acquisition.
Cash flows from operations were $4.6 billion in fiscal 2016 compared to $3.7 billion in fiscal 2015. The change was primarily due to increased earnings, the lapping of the non-cash acquisition related gain for Starbucks Japan and the timing of our cash payments for income taxes.
Capital expenditures were $1.4 billion in fiscal 2016 compared to $1.3 billion in fiscal 2015.
We returned $3.2 billion to our shareholders in fiscal 2016 through share repurchases and dividends compared to $2.4 billion in fiscal 2015.
Overview
Starbucks results for fiscal 2016 continued to demonstrate the strength of our global business model, and our ability to successfully make disciplined investments in our business and our partners (employees). Our net revenues grew 11% over fiscal 2015, and consolidated operating margin expanded 80 basis points from 18.8% in fiscal 2015 to 19.6% in fiscal 2016, largely driven by sales leverage and lower commodity costs, partially offset by investments in our partners and digital platforms.
The Americas segment continued to perform well in fiscal 2016, with revenues growing 11% to $14.8 billion, primarily driven by comparable store sales growth of 6%, comprised of a 5% increase in average ticket and a 1% increase in number of transactions, incremental revenues from 804 net new store openings over the last 12 months and the impact of the extra week in fiscal 2016. Growth in our iced beverages, including coffee, tea and espresso, paired with beverage innovation and the success of our food offerings, drove the increase in comparable store sales. Americas operating margin grew 110 basis points to 25.3% in fiscal 2016, primarily driven by sales leverage and lower commodity costs, partially offset by investments in our store partners and digital platforms.
Our fiscal 2016 China/Asia Pacific segment results reflected higher revenues from the opening of 981 net new stores over the past year, incremental revenues associated with the ownership change in Starbucks Japan, a 3% increase in comparable store sales and the impact of the extra week in fiscal 2016. Operating margin expanded 60 basis points to 21.5%, driven by sales leverage, higher income from our joint venture operations and favorability from changes to certain business tax structures in China. This favorability was partially offset by unfavorable foreign currency translation and the impact of our ownership change in Starbucks Japan. We now operate 6,443 stores in 15 countries in our China/Asia Pacific segment with continued strong performance, reinforcing our confidence in the long-term growth potential of this market.
As we continue to execute our strategy of achieving the appropriate balance between company-operated and licensed stores, our EMEA segment revenues declined 8% to $1.1 billion in fiscal 2016 compared to a year ago. The decline in revenues was primarily driven by lower company-operated store revenues due to the shift to more licensed stores in the region and unfavorable foreign currency translation. Partially offsetting lower company-operated store revenues were higher licensed store sales, primarily resulting from the opening of 294 net new licensed stores and the transfer of 200 company-operated stores to licensed stores over the past 12 months, and the impact of the extra week in fiscal 2016. Compared to fiscal 2015, EMEA operating margin declined 30 basis points to 13.5% primarily due to sales deleverage at certain company-operated stores and

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unfavorable foreign currency exchange, partially offset by sales leverage driven by the shift in the portfolio towards more licensed stores.
The Channel Development segment revenues grew 12% to $1.9 billion in fiscal 2016, primarily due to higher sales of premium single-serve products, driven by sales of Starbucks® K-Cup® portion packs, the impact of the extra week in fiscal 2016 and increased foodservice and packaged coffee sales. Operating margin increased 400 basis points to 41.8%, primarily driven by strong performance from our North American Coffee Partnership joint venture, lower coffee costs and leverage on cost of sales. As seen through our Channel Development segment results for fiscal 2016, we continue to expand customer occasions outside of our retail stores and through our developing international presence.
Fiscal 2017 — The View Ahead
Turning to fiscal 2017, we expect continued strength in our revenue, operating margin and earnings per share results in comparison to fiscal 2016. These results are expected to be driven by our 7 Strategies for Growth, which include:
Be the Employer of Choice
Elevate Coffee
Grow the Store Portfolio
Create New Customer Occasions
Drive At-Home Coffee Share and Occasions
Build Teavana through Starbucks and CPG
Extend Digital Engagement
In fiscal 2017, through our 7 Strategies for Growth, we plan to expand our footprint by opening new stores and enhancing the mix and types of stores in our portfolio. Expansion of our store portfolio is expected to be coupled with continued customer attachment through our morning and lunch dayparts. And, our management team continues to align our leadership with our evolving businesses, including the development of our Global Roastery and Starbucks Reserve® branded stores. As a result of these efforts, we expect consolidated revenue growth to be approximately 8% in fiscal 2017 when compared to our 53-week results in fiscal 2016. After excluding the approximately $400 million of additional revenue attributed to the extra week in fiscal 2016, we expect consolidated revenue growth to be approximately 10% for fiscal 2017 based on a comparable 52-week year. Revenue growth is expected to be driven by comparable store sales in the mid-single digits and the opening of approximately 2,100 net new stores globally.
Additionally, for fiscal 2017, we expect to continue investing in our partners and digital platforms. These investments provide enhanced wages and benefits and also focus on mobile and loyalty programs. We expect partner and digital investments to increase by approximately $250 million versus an increase of approximately $160 million in fiscal 2016, further demonstrating the importance of and value creation realized from these efforts.
We plan for our consolidated operating margin to increase slightly in fiscal 2017 when compared to fiscal 2016. Sales leverage and cost savings initiatives will offset investments in our business and partners. For fiscal 2017, we expect an effective tax rate of about 34%, and diluted net earnings per share to be in the range of $2.09 to $2.11.
Capital expenditures in fiscal 2017 are expected to be approximately $1.6 billion, primarily for new stores and store renovations, as well as for other investments to support our ongoing growth initiatives.
Acquisitions and Divestitures
See Note 2, Acquisitions and Divestitures, to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this 10-K for information regarding acquisitions and divestitures.

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Table of Contents

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS — FISCAL 2016 COMPARED TO FISCAL 2015
Consolidated results of operations (in millions):
Revenues
Fiscal Year Ended
Oct 2,
2016
 
Sep 27,
2015
 
%
Change
Net revenues:
 
 
 
 
 
Company-operated stores
$
16,844.1

 
$
15,197.3

 
10.8
%
Licensed stores
2,154.2

 
1,861.9

 
15.7

CPG, foodservice and other
2,317.6

 
2,103.5

 
10.2

Total net revenues
$
21,315.9

 
$
19,162.7

 
11.2
%
Total net revenues increased $2.2 billion, or 11%, over fiscal 2015, primarily due to increased revenues from company-operated stores (contributing $1.6 billion). The growth in company-operated store revenues was primarily driven by 5% growth in comparable store sales ($793 million), incremental revenues from 693 net new Starbucks® company-operated store openings over the past 12 months ($724 million), the impact of the extra week in fiscal 2016 ($324 million) and incremental revenues from the impact of our ownership change in Starbucks Japan ($105 million). Partially offsetting these increases was the absence of revenue from the conversion of certain company-operated stores to licensed stores ($151 million) and the impact of unfavorable foreign currency translation ($99 million).
Licensed store revenue growth contributed $292 million to the increase in total net revenues, primarily resulting from higher product sales to and royalty revenues from our licensees ($285 million), largely due to the opening of 1,372 net new Starbucks® licensed stores, the transfer of 200 company-operated stores to licensed stores over the past 12 months and improved comparable store sales, as well as the impact of the extra week in fiscal 2016 ($41 million). Partially offsetting these increases was the impact of unfavorable foreign currency translation ($33 million) and a decrease in licensed store revenues resulting from the impact of our ownership change in Starbucks Japan ($6 million).
CPG, foodservice and other revenues increased $214 million, primarily due to higher sales of premium single-serve products ($106 million), the impact of the extra week in fiscal 2016 ($47 million), and increased foodservice sales ($34 million) and U.S. packaged coffee ($32 million).
Operating Expenses
Fiscal Year Ended
Oct 2,
2016
 
Sep 27,
2015
 
Oct 2,
2016
 
Sep 27,
2015
 
 
 
 
 
As a % of Total
Net Revenues
Cost of sales including occupancy costs
$
8,511.1

 
$
7,787.5

 
39.9
%
 
40.6
%
Store operating expenses
6,064.3

 
5,411.1

 
28.4

 
28.2

Other operating expenses
545.4

 
522.4

 
2.6

 
2.7

Depreciation and amortization expenses
980.8

 
893.9

 
4.6

 
4.7

General and administrative expenses
1,360.6

 
1,196.7

 
6.4

 
6.2

Total operating expenses
17,462.2

 
15,811.6

 
81.9

 
82.5

Income from equity investees
318.2

 
249.9

 
1.5

 
1.3

Operating income
$
4,171.9

 
$
3,601.0

 
19.6
%
 
18.8
%
Store operating expenses as a % of related revenues
 
 
 
 
36.0
%
 
35.6
%
Cost of sales including occupancy costs as a percentage of total net revenues decreased 70 basis points, primarily driven by leverage on cost of sales and occupancy costs (approximately 70 basis points) and lower commodity costs (approximately 50 basis points).
Store operating expenses as a percentage of total net revenues increased 20 basis points. Store operating expenses as a percentage of company-operated store revenues increased 40 basis points, primarily driven by increased investments in partners (employees) and digital platforms (approximately 80 basis points), partially offset by sales leverage (approximately 30 basis points).

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Table of Contents

Other operating expenses as a percentage of total net revenues decreased 10 basis points. Excluding the impact of company-operated store revenues, other operating expenses decreased 100 basis points, primarily due to a settlement in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016 related to the closure of Target Canada stores in the prior year (approximately 50 basis points), the lapping of impairment of certain assets in the Americas segment in the prior year (approximately 20 basis points) and improved collection results (approximately 20 basis points).
General and administrative expenses as a percentage of total net revenues increased 20 basis points, primarily driven by higher salaries and benefits (approximately 30 basis points).
Income from equity investees as a percentage of total net revenues increased 20 basis points due to higher income from our joint venture operations, primarily from our North American Coffee Partnership and our joint ventures in China and South Korea.
The combination of these changes resulted in an overall increase in operating margin of 80 basis points over fiscal 2015.
Other Income and Expenses
Fiscal Year Ended
Oct 2,
2016
 
Sep 27,
2015
 
Oct 2,
2016
 
Sep 27,
2015
 
 
 
 
 
As a % of Total
Net Revenues
Operating income
$
4,171.9

 
$
3,601.0

 
19.6
 %
 
18.8
 %
Gain resulting from acquisition of joint venture

 
390.6

 

 
2.0

Loss on extinguishment of debt

 
(61.1
)
 

 
(0.3
)
Interest income and other, net
108.0

 
43.0

 
0.5

 
0.2

Interest expense
(81.3
)
 
(70.5
)
 
(0.4
)
 
(0.4
)
Earnings before income taxes
4,198.6

 
3,903.0

 
19.7

 
20.4

Income tax expense
1,379.7

 
1,143.7

 
6.5

 
6.0

Net earnings including noncontrolling interests
2,818.9

 
2,759.3

 
13.2

 
14.4

Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests
1.2

 
1.9

 

 

Net earnings attributable to Starbucks
$
2,817.7

 
$
2,757.4

 
13.2
 %
 
14.4
 %
Effective tax rate including noncontrolling interests
 
 
 
 
32.9
 %
 
29.3
 %
During the first quarter of fiscal 2015, we recorded a gain of $391 million as a result of remeasuring our preexisting 39.5% ownership interest in Starbucks Japan to fair value upon acquisition.
During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015, we recorded a loss of $61 million related to the redemption of our $550 million of 6.250% Senior Notes (the "2017 notes"), which were originally scheduled to mature in August 2017. The loss primarily relates to the optional redemption premium outlined in the 2017 notes indenture, as well as the derecognition of the capitalized issuance costs and unamortized discount.
Interest income and other, net increased $65 million, primarily due to higher income recognized on unredeemed stored value card balances ($21 million), net favorable foreign exchange fluctuations ($11 million) and gains on our trading securities portfolio ($8 million).
Interest expense increased $11 million primarily due to interest on the long-term debt we issued in February and May 2016.
Our tax rate is affected by recurring items, such as tax rates in foreign jurisdictions and the relative amounts of income we earn in those jurisdictions, as well as discrete items that may occur in any given year, but are not consistent from year to year. The effective tax rate for fiscal 2016 was 32.9% compared to 29.3% for fiscal 2015. The increase in the rate for fiscal 2016 was primarily due to the 3.7% impact of the gain in the prior year associated with the remeasurement of our preexisting 39.5% ownership interest in Starbucks Japan upon acquisition, which was almost entirely non-taxable.

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Table of Contents

Segment Information
Results of operations by segment (in millions):
Americas
Fiscal Year Ended
Oct 2,
2016
 
Sep 27,
2015
 
Oct 2,
2016
 
Sep 27,
2015
 
 
 
 
 
As a % of Americas 
Total Net Revenues
Net revenues:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Company-operated stores
$
13,247.4

 
$
11,925.6

 
89.5
%
 
89.7
%
Licensed stores
1,518.5

 
1,334.4

 
10.3

 
10.0

Foodservice and other
29.5

 
33.4

 
0.2

 
0.3

Total net revenues
14,795.4

 
13,293.4

 
100.0

 
100.0

Cost of sales including occupancy costs
5,271.9

 
4,845.0

 
35.6

 
36.4

Store operating expenses
4,909.3

 
4,387.9

 
33.2

 
33.0

Other operating expenses
96.0

 
122.8

 
0.6

 
0.9

Depreciation and amortization expenses
590.1

 
522.3

 
4.0

 
3.9

General and administrative expenses
186.1

 
192.1

 
1.3

 
1.4

Total operating expenses
11,053.4

 
10,070.1

 
74.7

 
75.8

Operating income
$
3,742.0

 
$
3,223.3

 
25.3
%
 
24.2
%
Store operating expenses as a % of related revenues
 
 
 
 
37.1
%
 
36.8
%
Revenues
Americas total net revenues for fiscal 2016 increased $1.5 billion, or 11%, primarily due to increased revenues from company-operated stores (contributing $1.3 billion) and licensed stores (contributing $184 million).
The increase in company-operated store revenues was driven by a 6% increase in comparable store sales ($730 million), incremental revenues from 348 net new Starbucks® company-operated store openings over the past 12 months ($481 million) and the impact of the extra week in fiscal 2016 ($258 million). Partially offsetting these increases was unfavorable foreign currency translation ($91 million), primarily driven by the strengthening of the U.S. dollar against the Canadian dollar.
The increase in licensed store revenues was primarily due to higher product sales to and royalty revenues from our licensees ($150 million), resulting from the opening of 456 net new licensed stores over the past 12 months and improved comparable store sales, as well as the impact of the extra week in fiscal 2016 ($31 million).
Operating Expenses
Cost of sales including occupancy costs as a percentage of total net revenues decreased 80 basis points, primarily driven by leverage on cost of sales and occupancy costs (approximately 50 basis points) and lower commodity costs (approximately 40 basis points).
Store operating expenses as a percentage of total net revenues increased 20 basis points. As a percentage of company-operated store revenues, store operating expenses increased 30 basis points, primarily driven by increased investments in store partners and digital platforms (approximately 100 basis points), partially offset by sales leverage on salaries and benefits (approximately 80 basis points).
Other operating expenses as a percentage of total net revenues decreased 30 basis points. Excluding the impact of company-operated store revenues, other operating expenses decreased 280 basis points, primarily due to a settlement in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016 related to the closure of Target Canada stores in the prior year (approximately 140 basis points), the lapping of impairment of certain assets in the region (approximately 60 basis points) and improved collection results (approximately 40 basis points).
The combination of these changes resulted in an overall increase in operating margin of 110 basis points over fiscal 2015.

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Table of Contents

China/Asia Pacific
Fiscal Year Ended
Oct 2,
2016
 
Sep 27,
2015
 
Oct 2,
2016
 
Sep 27,
2015
 
 
 
 
 
 As a % of China/Asia Pacific 
Total Net Revenues
Net revenues:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Company-operated stores
$
2,640.4

 
$
2,127.3

 
89.8
%
 
88.8
%
Licensed stores
292.3

 
264.4

 
9.9

 
11.0

Foodservice and other
6.1

 
4.2

 
0.2

 
0.2

Total net revenues
2,938.8

 
2,395.9

 
100.0

 
100.0

Cost of sales including occupancy costs
1,296.7

 
1,071.5

 
44.1

 
44.7

Store operating expenses
779.4

 
609.8

 
26.5

 
25.5

Other operating expenses
70.3

 
62.2

 
2.4

 
2.6

Depreciation and amortization expenses
180.6

 
150.7

 
6.1

 
6.3

General and administrative expenses
130.3

 
120.8

 
4.4

 
5.0

Total operating expenses
2,457.3

 
2,015.0

 
83.6

 
84.1

Income from equity investees
150.1

 
119.6

 
5.1

 
5.0

Operating income
$
631.6

 
$
500.5

 
21.5
%
 
20.9
%
Store operating expenses as a % of related revenues
 
 
 
 
29.5
%
 
28.7
%
Revenues
China/Asia Pacific total net revenues for fiscal 2016 increased $543 million, or 23%, largely due to increased revenues from company-operated stores (contributing $513 million). The increase in company-operated store revenues was primarily due to the opening of 359 net new company-operated stores over the past 12 months ($246 million) and incremental revenues from the impact of our ownership in Starbucks Japan ($105 million). Also contributing was a 3% increase in comparable store sales ($61 million), the impact of the extra week in fiscal 2016 ($52 million) and favorable foreign currency translation ($49 million).
Licensed store revenues increased $28 million, primarily due to increased product sales to and royalty revenues from licensees ($47 million), resulting from the opening of 622 net new licensed store openings over the past 12 months, partially offset by unfavorable foreign currency translation ($15 million) and a decrease in licensed store revenues resulting from the impact of our ownership change in Starbucks Japan ($6 million).
Operating Expenses
Cost of sales including occupancy costs as a percentage of total net revenues decreased 60 basis points, primarily due to the impact of our ownership change in Starbucks Japan (approximately 30 basis points) and favorability from changes to certain business tax structures in China (30 basis points).
Store operating expenses as a percentage of total net revenues increased 100 basis points. As a percentage of company-operated store revenues, store operating expenses increased 80 basis points, primarily driven by higher partner and digital investments and payroll-related expenditures (approximately 90 basis points) and the impact of our ownership change in Starbucks Japan (approximately 40 basis points), partially offset by sales leverage on salaries and benefits (approximately 60 basis points).
Other operating expenses as a percentage of total net revenues decreased 20 basis points. Excluding the impact of company-operated store revenues, other operating expenses increased 40 basis points, primarily due to higher payroll-related expenditures (approximately 140 basis points), investments in digital platforms (approximately 80 basis points) and the impact of our ownership change in Starbucks Japan (approximately 60 basis points), partially offset by sales leverage (approximately 220 basis points).
General and administrative expenses as a percentage of total revenues decreased 60 basis points, primarily due to sales leverage on salaries and benefits (approximately 40 basis points).
Income from equity investees as a percentage of total net revenues increased 10 basis points, primarily due to higher income from our joint venture operations, primarily in China and South Korea (approximately 70 basis points and 60 basis points, respectively), partially offset by the shift in composition of our store portfolio to more company-operated stores (approximately 50 basis points) and the impact of our ownership change in Starbucks Japan (approximately 50 basis points).
The combination of these changes resulted in an overall increase in operating margin of 60 basis points over fiscal 2015.

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Table of Contents

EMEA
Fiscal Year Ended
Oct 2,
2016
 
Sep 27,
2015
 
Oct 2,
2016
 
Sep 27,
2015
 
 
 
 
 
 As a % of EMEA 
Total Net Revenues
Net revenues:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Company-operated stores
$
732.0

 
$
911.2

 
65.1
%
 
74.9
%
Licensed stores
339.5

 
257.2

 
30.2

 
21.1

Foodservice
53.4

 
48.3

 
4.7

 
4.0

Total net revenues
1,124.9

 
1,216.7

 
100.0

 
100.0

Cost of sales including occupancy costs
565.0

 
582.5

 
50.2

 
47.9

Store operating expenses
260.6

 
308.7

 
23.2

 
25.4

Other operating expenses
57.0

 
51.8

 
5.1

 
4.3

Depreciation and amortization expenses
40.8

 
52.0

 
3.6

 
4.3

General and administrative expenses
51.4

 
56.6

 
4.6

 
4.7

Total operating expenses
974.8

 
1,051.6

 
86.7

 
86.4

Income from equity investees
1.5

 
3.1

 
0.1

 
0.3

Operating income
$
151.6

 
$
168.2

 
13.5
%
 
13.8
%
Store operating expenses as a % of related revenues
 
 
 
 
35.6
%
 
33.9
%
Revenues
EMEA total net revenues for fiscal 2016 decreased $92 million, or 8%. The decrease was primarily due to a decline in company-operated store revenues ($179 million), which was largely due to the shift to more licensed stores in the region ($132 million) and includes the absence of revenues related to the sale of our Germany retail operations, and unfavorable foreign currency translation ($69 million). These decreases were partially offset by the impact of the extra week in fiscal 2016 ($18 million).
Licensed store revenues increased $82 million, or 32%, primarily due to higher product sales to and royalty revenues from our licensees ($89 million), resulting from the opening of 294 net new licensed stores and the transfer of 200 company-operated stores to licensed stores over the past 12 months. Also contributing was the impact of the extra week in fiscal 2016 ($6 million). These increases were partially offset by unfavorable foreign currency translation ($12 million).
Operating Expenses
Cost of sales including occupancy costs as a percentage of total net revenues increased 230 basis points, primarily due to the shift in composition of our store portfolio in the region to more licensed stores (approximately 140 basis points), sales deleverage at certain company-owned stores (approximately 80 basis points) and foreign currency transactions (approximately 50 basis points).
Store operating expenses as a percentage of total net revenues decreased 220 basis points. As a percentage of company-operated store revenues, store operating expenses increased 170 basis points, primarily due to costs associated with the sale of our Germany retail operations and a decrease in company-operated store sales as a result of the shift to more licensed stores in the region (approximately 70 basis points). Sales deleverage at certain company-owned stores, largely related to salaries and benefits, also contributed unfavorably (approximately 70 basis points).
Other operating expenses as a percentage of total net revenues increased 80 basis points. Excluding the impact of company-operated store revenues, other operating expenses decreased 250 basis points, primarily due to sales leverage driven by the shift to more licensed stores in the region (approximately 250 basis points).
Depreciation and amortization expenses as a percentage of total net revenues decreased 70 basis points, primarily due to the shift in the composition of our store portfolio in the region to more licensed stores (approximately 40 basis points).
Income from equity investees as a percentage of total net revenues decreased 20 basis points as a result of the sale of our ownership interest in our Spanish joint venture, Starbucks Coffee España, S.L., in the first quarter of fiscal 2016 (approximately 20 basis points).
The combination of these changes resulted in an overall decrease in operating margin of 30 basis points over fiscal 2015.

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Table of Contents

Channel Development
Fiscal Year Ended
Oct 2,
2016
 
Sep 27,
2015
 
Oct 2,
2016
 
Sep 27,
2015
 
 
 
 
 
 As a % of Channel Development 
Total Net Revenues
Net revenues:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CPG
$
1,488.2

 
$
1,329.0

 
77.0
%
 
76.8
%
Foodservice
444.3

 
401.9

 
23.0

 
23.2

Total net revenues
1,932.5

 
1,730.9

 
100.0

 
100.0

Cost of sales
1,042.6

 
974.8

 
54.0

 
56.3

Other operating expenses
228.5

 
210.5

 
11.8

 
12.2

Depreciation and amortization expenses
2.8

 
2.7

 
0.1

 
0.2

General and administrative expenses
17.9

 
16.2

 
0.9

 
0.9