TOPLINE
After a torrent of social media backlash Thursday evening following a report that employees were banned from wearing clothing or accessories that mentions the Black Lives Matter movement, Starbucks announced Friday it not only would allow staffers to don BLM attire, the company would make 250,000 specialty shirts supporting the movement.
KEY FACTS
In an email to Forbes Friday, Starbucks declared they stand “in solidarity with our Black partners (employees), community and customers, and understand the desire to express themselves.”
The company announced they are partnering with the Starbucks Black Partner Network and Black Starbucks leaders to make 250,000 shirts available to company-operated partners to affirm their support.
“Until these shirts arrive in stores, partners will be able to wear their BLM pin or t-shirt in passionate support of their community and humanity,” the statement reads.
This represents a dramatic reversal of a prior stance, first reported by BuzzFeed News late Thursday afternoon.
Starbucks told employees in a memo last week they were prohibited from wearing clothing or accessories that mentions the Black Lives Matter movement, claiming it could be misunderstood and potentially incite violence.
A new memo to employees, posted on the company website Friday morning, reads, “we’ve heard you want to show your support, so just be you. Wear your BLM pin or t-shirt.”
Key Background:
Starbucks noted its memo was merely serving as a reminder of an existing company policy that forbids accessories that advocate a political, religious or personal issue. However, several staffers reportedly said the company commonly permits them to don accessories that promote marriage equality and LGBTQ rights. Some employees claimed that the company recently gave them pins and Gay Pride shirts, since June is Pride Month. Others pointed out the seeming hypocrisy of the official Starbucks Twitter account, back on June 1st, posting an image that read, “We will confront racism to create a more inclusive and just world. We stand in solidarity with our Black partners, customers and communities. We will not be bystanders.” The backlash following Thursday’s BuzzFeed report was immediate. Within hours, #BoycottStarbucks was trending on Twitter in the United States.
Tangent:
The recent incident arrives at a precarious time for the coffee chain. Shares of Starbucks fell over 4.5% on Wednesday after the company said it expects to post a loss—with as much as $3.2 billion of lost revenue—in its fiscal third quarter due to the coronavirus pandemic. Yet, despite potentially losing over $3 billion, Starbucks announced that it will increasingly shift toward a digital customer experience based on convenience with plans to transform many traditional cafes by adding more takeout options. The company had already planned to increase convenience-led formats in many of its stores, but is now accelerating that timeline due to the shifting retail landscape caused by the coronavirus.
CRITICAL QUOTE:
“We are so proud of your passionate support of our common humanity,” Friday’s statement on behalf of Starbucks partners Roz Brewer, Rossann Williams, and Zing Shaw reads. “We trust you to do what’s right while never forgetting Starbucks is a welcoming third place where all are treated with dignity and respect.”
Further Reading:
Starbucks Bans Employees From Wearing Black Lives Matter Attire (Forbes)
Standing together against racial injustice (Starbucks statement)
