Tokyo [Japan], February 23: There's been a lot for Japanese Starbucks fans to be happy about over the last few days, as the chain rolled out its new sakura beverages and drinkware. But while those additions to Starbucks' menu and merch catalog are putting smiles on many people's face, there are some less crowd-pleasing ones going into effect too.
Starting with the one that has a silver lining, as of February 18, Starbucks Japan branches no longer provides free bags to takeout customers. Instead, customers who need a bag and haven't brought one of their own will be charged 11 yen per order, and can receive a number of bags up to the number of items they're purchasing. It's a very modest fee, and is part of Starbucks' initiative to reduce the chain's environmental impact by encouraging customers to bring their own reusable shopping bags.Since 2009, Starbucks Japan has been using FSC-approved sustainable-source paper for its takeout bags, but they want to be even more ecologically friendly.The less popular change, though, will be that Starbucks is raising its prices, or, to use their press release's terminology, "adjusting" them, in response to "rising materials and energy costs." The nature of the price increases is complex and vague. To start with, in 2025 Starbucks introduced a system of "location-specific pricing," with Starbucks locations inside certain Japanese airports and expressway rest stops put into the category Location A, and branches in major metropolitan areas such as Tokyo's 23 central wards and Osaka in the Location B classification. Prices at Location A Starbucks are, on average, six percent higher than they are in a normal Starbucks, and at Location B branches they're four percent higher than the norm. In total, about 30 percent of Starbucks Japan branches are in either the Location A or B group.
Under the new system, though, Starbucks will be transferring some of the Tokyo 23-wards branches to the more expansive Location A group. In addition, while the beverage prices for Location A and B branches will not change, at Starbucks Japan's remaining branches (i.e. those with the cheapest prices under the old system), prices for some permanent-menu beverages will be increased by 5 to 30 yen.
Source: Qatar Tribune
