Starbucks shares slide after coffee chain says sales fell again, suspends outlook

Starbucks on Tuesday posted preliminary quarterly results that showed its sales fell again as the coffee chain tries to execute a turnaround.

"Our fourth quarter performance makes it clear that we need to fundamentally change our strategy so we can get back to growth and that's exactly what we are doing with our 'Back to Starbucks' plan," CEO Brian Niccol said in a statement.

Niccol said he plans to share more details on the steps Starbucks is taking to turn around the business on the company's earnings call, scheduled for Oct. 30. The coffee chain's new CEO aims to reverse slowing demand for Starbucks' drinks, starting with its largest market: the U.S.

Already, the CEO said the company is "fundamentally changing" its marketing by refocusing on all of its customers, not just members of its loyalty program. He added that Starbucks plans to simplify its "overly complex menu," fix its pricing and make sure all of its drinks are handed directly to customers. All three of those goals have been top complaints from customers and baristas in recent years.

"We believe that our problems are very fixable and that we have significant strengths to build on," Niccol said in prepared remarks released on the company's website on Tuesday.

The company's preliminary net sales fell 3% to $9.1 billion. It reported preliminary adjusted earnings per share of 80 cents.

Analysts surveyed by LSEG were expecting the company to report fiscal fourth-quarter earnings per share of $1.03 and revenue of $9.38 billion.

Shares of the company fell more than 3% in extended trading on the announcement.

For the third consecutive quarter, Starbucks' same-store sales fell. This quarter's 7% decline in same-store sales was the company's steepest drop since the Covid-19