KUALA LUMPUR – Popular coffee chain Starbucks Malaysia appears to have ceased operations at one of its outlets in the Klang Valley, amid news of its local franchise owner suffering a 38% drop in revenue last year.
In a post on social media platform X, user @xalongx shared an image of a deserted Starbucks outlet in the Subang Parade shopping mall, claiming that the closing of the eatery was due to a boycott of supposedly Israeli-linked products.
“Boycotts work. (After) years of Starbucks in Subang Parade and yesterday, they were officially permanently closed,” the user said in the post uploaded this morning.
They also shared a screen capture of a Google Maps notification listing the outlet as being “permanently closed.”
However, checks by Scoop on the Starbucks Malaysia official website show that its Subang Parade outlet remains listed as an operational store.
On February 21, it was reported that Starbucks’ local franchise owner, Berjaya Food Bhd (BFood), had recorded a lower revenue of RM182.55 million for its second quarter, which ended on December 31 last year.
The decrease, which was a stark drop compared to its revenue of RM295.32 million for the same quarter of the previous year, was attributed to an ongoing boycott linked to the Middle East conflict affecting consumer sentiments.
BFood, however, said it was remaining optimistic about its prospects, with its board of directors believing that its operating performance will “rebound and regain momentum, viewing the current situation as short-term and anticipating positive progress going forward.”
Taking to Instagram on February 28, Starbucks Malaysia claimed that false statements regarding its business have incited “violence and vandalism” in some of its stores, including “assault” against its employees.
Asserting that it has “no political agenda,” the company said that it “condemns violence, the loss of innocent lives, and all hate.”
“We wish to express our deepest sympathy for those who have been killed, wounded, displaced, and impacted following the acts of violence and hate against the innocent.
“At Starbucks, our position remains unchanged. Starbucks stands for humanity,” the store said in the post.
While the chain did not mention any specific conflict, it included a link to a page on its local website where the company addresses and denies claims about its alleged funding of Israel while affirming its apolitical stance. – March 2, 2024