Starbucks meeting still steamy, if a little weak

Enthusiasm there, but expansion has some wondering if it’s simply too big

ANALYSIS
By Allison Linn
Senior writer
MSNBC

Starbucks Corp.'s annual shareholders meeting is typically as much a cheerleading session as an investor powwow, marked by song-and-dance routines, earnest employee testimonials and a host of other feel-good performances.

And, oh yeah, there’s free coffee.

It wouldn't be fair to say that this year’s shindig, held Wednesday in Seattle, was exactly somber. Still, it wasn’t hard to catch the faint whiff of anxiety among the top executives, and who could really blame them?

Shares in Starbucks have fallen more than 10 percent over the past year, amid concerns over whether the company can maintain its brisk store growth and reach its aggressive revenue targets without diluting its brand or making any other major missteps.

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