Starbucks Gift Cards Are Kind of a Scam

[{"selector":"#anim-6ea5a396-27de-49e9-8aab-992f65ff035d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a47880c2-ef8c-4b56-a640-ae3c577a4543","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f6e4cf2d-0c26-43e2-8d5f-6a816114cda5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d125f085-371e-4e1e-8ec3-ad2961090d7a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.59459%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] You may not believe in ghosts, but Starbucks money does. The giant Seattle coffee company made over $200 million this year thanks to a huge number of ghost consumers Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-55b0499e-9a95-4051-8684-11beb46cba70","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a96f38d6-d08e-420e-af96-24169c8d825a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-70fffde6-a120-4e57-866d-8e9165a42d50","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c3b0c81c-e79b-40d2-803c-45b5632d02c7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.59459%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Everyone has received a Starbucks gift card as a business giveaway, stocking stuffer, or everyday gift, yet a startlingly high percentage fail to redeem their coffee currency. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-a389deec-cf84-440f-8ac6-b2bdcb0c5495","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-06a6178b-e001-44ea-8fe9-939e50056651","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1164ba98-e574-4da1-91e7-5a721713eec7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-680bf6ae-dbc6-44de-b952-24833ce37b06","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.59459%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Starbucks earned $212.7 million in 2022 from "breakage," or leftover gift cards. That's a lot of money in wallets and sofa cushions. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-d660de67-c17a-46ea-8b23-f28c7d8d6c1f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-543a625a-5f3b-4f91-97b9-ad787adb10ea","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-01e16053-956f-4976-b914-e4896d7e2de8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-171b87b5-ead5-408c-9a71-d1728b5c75e1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.59459%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Breakage has climbed significantly at Starbucks, which reported over $180 million in unclaimed gift card cash in 2021. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-34ab096b-c01d-49cd-b0d7-b83b743a1c38","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e0a2eaa1-c3d9-4a46-b632-68b38f5ad75b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c3b3850f-c05f-46da-8d0a-99ccf6101a0a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9d71538a-6db5-49f4-8cce-fedad0e9f6c4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.59459%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Starbucks' overall breakage income has climbed 51% from 2019, when it recorded $140.80 million. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-da589cc3-ff1c-47b5-9024-f6e117e56514","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b5e59fa5-a9d8-48b7-a304-ca4be7e6e674","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-32d28856-6b2f-4efc-a8d0-5af85a513e05","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2b1c12bd-350a-41c5-9aa4-50dd2dce5d45","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.59459%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Starbucks gift cards are always popular, especially over the holidays. Christmas shoppers spend billions on Starbucks gift cards. Breakage Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-9d94f3be-c8c0-4dc8-ba27-37723d73899a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-792c45fd-d1b6-450b-8834-afee733b085e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-27157986-cdbf-4943-ae48-fc0b2cb79cd5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-610f26c3-5ce7-4703-8cfa-04e46f1ee195","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.59459%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] has increased recently, though. Breakage revenue's influence on Starbucks' profitability was so noticeable that Strategic Organizing Center (SOC) Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-5df806da-dc6b-4681-8450-d778ecc5240c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-33b23b73-05db-48a7-9091-623f7fee47a4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-98538b35-3f77-4a5d-b73b-e88024bc2199","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9764162a-13f7-4eb6-b85c-c23a36a48ee0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.59459%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Various unions promote Starbucks employee unionization through the SOC. Quite frankly, Starbucks has been hostile to employee Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-eb91248b-08fc-43fc-a2a5-43a106967593","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6a2a6a7a-c147-448d-b137-9a32b2c96175","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-62e0ed3e-ba4e-4b78-8942-e204747fde8c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8ecd389d-f752-4272-950d-f91290561fc8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.59459%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] unionization. SOC claims Starbucks isn't forthcoming regarding revenue from unused cards or COVID-19's impact on breakage. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-9cac95de-a3a3-4d4e-b5a5-d98c33fc0859","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3461d632-f3d0-4253-8372-66316b1b95cd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b9107940-6908-4839-b867-38d1b0622753","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1a272fa9-7bdd-41bc-864a-9f9c724fd2e5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.59459%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] SOC also wants Starbucks to reveal breakage revenue quarterly, which it hasn't done since 2018. That year, Starbucks started calling breakage Learn More Arrow

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