Starbucks Corporation is a multinational chain of coffeehouses and coffee shops headquartered in the United States. Starbucks is the largest coffee company in the world, with 8,505 company-owned stores and 6,506 licensed stores in 42 countries, for a total of 15,011 stores worldwide. Starbucks sells drip-brewed coffee, hot espresso drinks, other hot and cold beverages, snacks, and items such as cups and coffee beans. Through its Starbucks Entertainment division and the Hear Music brand, the company also markets books, music and films. Many of these products are seasonal or specific to the location where the store is located. Starbucks brand ice cream and coffee are also sold in grocery stores. Since its founding in Seattle, Washington, by Gordon Bowker, Jerry Baldwin, and Zev Siegl as a local roaster and retailer of coffee beans, Starbucks has expanded rapidly. In the 1990s, the company opened a new store every business day, a pace that continued into the 2000s. Domestic growth has slowed since then, although the company continues to expand in foreign markets and opens 7 stores per day all over the world. The first locations outside the United States and Canada were established in 1996, and they now make up nearly a third of Starbucks stores. As of November 2007, Starbucks had 8,505 company-owned stores worldwide: 6,793 of them in the United States and 1,712 in other countries. other countries and territories of the United States. Additionally, the company has 6,506 joint ventures and authorized retail locations, including 3,891 in the United States and 2,615 in other countries and U.S. territories. This brings the total locations (as of November 2007) to 15,011 worldwide. Starbucks is found in many popular grocery chains in the United States and Canada, as well as in many airports. You may be wondering what has contributed to the success of this company. The answer is simple; Starbucks understood the importance of brand building. In my opinion, most people think that the only key to success in building a brand is to have a brilliant marketing strategy combined with a great advertising campaign with mass appeal in world markets. While I believe this is all true, I also understand the importance of research when opening any business. What's the point of carrying a product if it doesn't get moved off the shelves, so to speak, or if it doesn't meet your customers' expectations because it lacks quality. It does nothing but damage the product brand, which means lower sales for your company.