Starbucks keen to maintain a reputation as a company that gives back to society
Following its vision of sustainability, Starbucks has been moving beyond just an international coffee house brand to a meaningful organisation in any market that it operates in.
“Our chairman, president and CEO, Howard Schultz, has had a policy from the very beginning to go beyond being just an ordinary coffee house to a meaningful company in returning good things back to society,” Sumonpin Jotikabukkana, marketing and communications director for Starbucks Thailand, said last week.
Seattle-based Starbucks has a policy of balancing its business in a way that is giving back to society, which includes sourcing coffee beans from farmers, engaging and supporting communities and caring for the environment, she said.
The company does contract farming activities with local farmers in operating huge coffee plantations in Thailand and Indonesia.
“It is our long-term commitment to purchase quality coffee beans from the farmers, and give them a better quality of living in their own rural society,” she said.
Five per cent of sales of Muan Jai Blend, a bold blend of Arabica coffees from Thailand, is contributed by farmer communities in the northern provinces, including Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son, which have more than 50,000 residents.
The first Starbucks’ community store outside the US was opened in the Langsuan neighbourhood of Bangkok, following Los Angeles, New York and Texas. The Langsuan community store signifies the company’s commitment to give back to communities, and more specifically, to support and sustain local coffee and farming communities in the North. About Bt10 of every single coffee cup purchased at its community store will be returned to help farmer communities, including health, education and youth development with the aim to make coffee as their life.
“We are a leader in the local coffee house industry in encouraging our customers to bring their own personal coffee cup to our store so that they can enjoy a Bt10 discount. About 35 per cent of our customers bring their own personal cup today. It is also a good initiative in driving environmentally-friendly habits of our customers,” she said.
“It is my honour to be working with a company of CSR leadership, committing to be responsible to the community and environment. For years our company has been dedicated to gaining the trust and respect of our customers, employees and community through our CSR activities that build sustainable development in our neighbourhood. Every sip from the cup is more meaningful when doing good things for our people and community,” she said.
Starbucks’ first “green” store in Asia has opened at Porto Chino mall. It’s been given “gold” status by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or Leed, the programme run by the US Green Building council.
The new Starbucks generated 60 per cent less construction waste than usual. It requires less water and energy to operate, on average achieving a 30-per-cent reduction in energy used for lighting, and 60 per cent in water use.
In line with the company’s global direction, Starbucks Thailand has committed to its green store initiative since 2000. Starbucks Thailand has five Leed certified branches –Crystal Design Centre (silver), Mega Bangna, Ban Chat Intra Rama III and its latest success, Porto Chino (gold), with more than 10 stores developing toward the green direction and awaiting official certification.
