By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-11-02 04:03:20 | Updated at 2024-11-02 06:19:57
2 hours ago
Starbucks has made a major change to its menu that will save customers money after years of price hikes.
The coffee giant announced that it will no longer charge extra for dairy alternatives in its drinks.
The surcharges applied to the likes of almond and oat milk can be as much as 80 cents in some of the chain's shops.
The change, which was announced on Wednesday, will reduce the cost of some customers drinks by as much as 10 percent.
The new policy will go into effect on Thursday, November 7, and follows years of customer complaints.
Starbucks just announced a major change to their menu that will save customers money
Starbucks has seen its US sales fall as its higher prices have put off customers.
'This is just one of many changes we'll make to ensure a visit to Starbucks is worth it every time,' CEO Brian Niccol said of the change.
Asking for a milk alternative is the second-most requested customization from customers, according to Starbucks.
This is only pipped to the post by those asking for an extra shot of espresso.
Customer can currently add up to four ounces of non-dairy milk to an order for no extra charge.
However, other drinks made with more milk, such as a latte, incur a charge.
The coffee retailer began offering non-dairy milk back in 1997, when it added a soy option to its menus.
As alternative milks have continued to gain in popularity others were added, including coconut milk in 2015, almond milk in 2016, and oat milk in 2021.
Starbucks first offered dairy-free milk alternatives back in 1997
Niccol took over as CEO last month and has announced his mission to turn around the chain's slumping sales.
The company unexpectedly released its earnings report early last month, which revealed that sales had fallen sharply for the third consecutive quarter.
US sales fell 6 percent, as cash-strapped customers have been increasingly put off by high prices and long wait times for drinks.
'The main issue is that consumers are buying less coffee from Starbucks in order to save money,' Neil Saunders, Managing Director of GlobalData Retail, told DailyMail.com.
Offering more promotions does not seem to have worked, said Saunders, and the chain announced it was scaling back on discounts offered through its mobile app earlier this month.
