Starbucks Franchisee in Middle East to Lay Off 2,000 Workers Amid Gaza Boycott
The Middle East franchisee of Starbucks, Alshaya Group, is firing around 2,000 workers at its coffee shops across the region due to challenging trading conditions exacerbated by being targeted by activists during the Israel-Hamas war. The layoffs represent just over 10% of its staff, and the company has been trying to counter false information being spread online. Starbucks revenue rose 8% to a record $9.43 billion for the October-December period, but it was lower than analysts had forecast, likely due in part to activist boycotts.