Starbucks is making big bucks again: After a slump, the coffee chain reported a four percent increase in revenue over 2009 at stores open more than a year—the first increase since December 2008—after changes to the customer experience and a series of cost-cutting measures. CEO Howard Schultz, who returned to the position two years ago to wage war on what he saw as an over-expansion and dilution of the brand, declared that "the luster is back on the brand," thanks to healthier food, waste-avoidance techniques, and espresso training for baristas—not to mention layoffs and store closings. For the upcoming year, the company plans on launching its own line of consumer packaged goods, like its Via instant coffee.
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