On Jan. 21, coffee chain Starbucks Corp. announced some big goals to move away from single-use foodservice products and set some "ambitious circular targets" for its packaging.
On March 4, Rossan Williams, executive vice president and president of U.S. company-operated businesses, said in an open letter to customers that it was going to have to suspend using customers' personal reusable cups brought into stores as it works to control the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.
The move — along with stepped-up cleaning and sanitizing and restricting business-related air travel and most large meetings — is all part of guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health authorities.
In addition, Williams said, it is taking lessons from its stores in China, which were some of the first retailers faced with the epidemic.
"As part of communities worldwide, we are navigating this situation with nimbleness, learning and adapting as new information is made available," the letter states.
Starbucks isn't alone in adjusting business in face of the virus. This video from The Washington Post notes that retailers such as eyeglass maker Warby Parker have stepped up cleaning at its shops.
