Starbucks's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Starbucks (SBUX) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: Starbucks vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 38,338M vs 82,437M combined for its competitors (31.7% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is decelerating (-2.7% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs accelerating (+2.8%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Starbucks generated -1.4% revenue growth year over year in Q3 2026, vs 7.7% for its competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 11.2% net margin compares with 24.8% for the peer group.
- Scale: Starbucks ranks #2 of 56 companies by market capitalization in the Restaurants industry, holding 18.6% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: Starbucks accounted for 30.6% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, down from 32.5% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $0.10M compares with $0.11M for the peer group (0.9x).
- Structure: Starbucks operates in the following segments: North America, International, Channel Development, Corporate Segment and Other Operating.
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
SBUX Sales vs. its Competitors, Q3 2026
Starbucks reported revenue contraction of 1.41 % year on year in Q3 2026, below its competitors' combined revenue growth of 7.65 %.
With a net margin of 11.21 %, Starbucks reported lower profitability than its competitors (24.84 %).
Starbucks generated 30.56 % of the combined sales of its peer group, down from 32.46 % a year earlier.
API endpoints for this dataset
Starbucks vs. its Competitors, Q3 2026
Revenue growth, year on year
Net income growth, year on year
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in Starbucks reports; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across Starbucks and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Starbucks Corporation | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| High-Confidence Competitors (4) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (5) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (4) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Starbucks's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Restaurants industry grew revenue 7.3% year over year, combined, vs -1.4% for Starbucks. Starbucks's share of combined industry revenue moved from 14.21% to 13.05%, a loss of 1.15 percentage points.
Starbucks's Competitor Quality Breadth
Group definitions: see Methodology: Performance Group Definitions.
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starbucks Corporation | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Competitors combined (21) | ||||
| High-Confidence Competitors (4) | ||||
| Similar-Size Competitors (6) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 75.00 % (6 of 8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 75.00 % (6 of 8) | 12.50 % (1 of 8) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
SBUX Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
SBUX Stock Performance relative to High-Confidence Competitors
SBUX Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
SBUX Stock Performance relative to Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Potbelly Corporation | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | H and e Equipment Services Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 4 | Dine Brands Global inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 5 | Nicolet Bankshares Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Starbucks's best-performing competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Starbucks's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
Publicly Traded Peers of Starbucks Corporation
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
 Starbucks Corporation |
120,567.96 | 38,338.30 |
 Mcdonald s Corporation |
196,633.37 | 27,702.00 |
 Luckin Coffee Inc |
87,343.57 | 6,857.87 |
 Yum Brands Inc |
44,635.78 | 8,722.00 |
 Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc |
43,647.01 | 12,713.48 |
 Restaurant Brands International Inc |
35,504.33 | 9,775.00 |
| SUBTOTAL | 569,549.15 | 133,138.41 |
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Sources: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Starbucks Corporation versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Starbucks's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from Starbucks reports and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Keurig Dr Pepper Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Celsius Holdings Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Brc Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Cuentas Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Farmer Brothers Co | Company report | 85% |
| Nicolet Bankshares Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Krispy Kreme Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Mcdonald s Corporation | Company report | 85% |
| Davidstea Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Luckin Coffee Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Reborn Coffee Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Yum Brands Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Potbelly Corporation | Company report | 85% |
| Dutch Bros Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Restaurant Brands International Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Yum China Holdings Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Cimg Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Shake Shack Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Burgerfi International Inc | Company report | 85% |
Company report basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for Starbucks's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Starbucks's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| Starbucks Corporation | North America 79.32 % |
| Mcdonald s Corporation | International Operated Markets 50.75 % |
| Luckin Coffee Inc | Prc Segment 99.42 % |
| Yum Brands Inc | KFC Global Division 42.60 % |
| Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc | U. S. 97.53 % |
| Restaurant Brands International Inc | Tim Hortons 44.99 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's reports (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
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Starbucks's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starbucks Corporation | 120,568 | 100,625 | 5,202 |
| Mcdonald s Corporation | 196,633 | 184,680 | 58,580 |
| Luckin Coffee Inc | 87,344 | 234,722 | 17,588 |
| Yum Brands Inc | 44,636 | 178,000 | 90,102 |
| Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc | 43,647 | 97,570 | 10,569 |
| Restaurant Brands International Inc | 35,504 | 182,710 | 36,804 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 448,981 | 106,509 | 20,998 |
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Starbucks's Geographic Revenue Exposure vs Peers
Revenue by country/region as reported in each company's most recent report. Disclosure granularity varies by filer (some report by country, others by broad region) and is shown as disclosed.| Company | Largest Market |
|---|---|
| Starbucks Corporation | United States 79.18 % |
| Yum Brands Inc | United States 54.68 % |
| Restaurant Brands International Inc | United States 46.81 % |
Source: revenue geography as reported in each company's reports (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API. Percentages are of that company's own total consolidated revenue for its most recent reported period.
Starbucks's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 53 companies in Starbucks's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Starbucks ranks #2 of 53 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 18.55 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 1,590, indicating a moderately concentrated market structure (see Methodology: Market Structure & Concentration).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mcdonald s Corporation | 191,652 | 29.99 % |
| 2 | Starbucks Corporation | 118,555 | 18.55 % |
| 3 | Luckin Coffee Inc | 86,008 | 13.46 % |
| 4 | Yum Brands Inc | 45,046 | 7.05 % |
| 5 | Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Restaurant Brands International Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | Darden Restaurants Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Yum China Holdings Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Aramark | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 10 | Texas Roadhouse inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Starbucks's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-11-06.
Starbucks's Same-Size Peers & Stock Performance
Peers chosen by closeness in market-cap rank within the same industry classification (not the named-competitor list above). Trailing 12-month total return, 3-month price momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio vs the broad U.S. market.| Rank | Company | Market Cap | TTM Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mcdonald s Corporation | 191,652 | -10.20 % |
| 2 | Starbucks Corporation | 118,555 | 27.52 % |
| 3 | Luckin Coffee Inc | 86,008 | -12.21 % |
| 4 | Yum Brands Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 5 | Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 6 | Restaurant Brands International Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 7 | Darden Restaurants Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of Starbucks's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-11-06. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
Starbucks's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Restaurants industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (106 companies). See the full Restaurants industry profitability benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | - | 35.29 % (avg) | - |
| Operating Margin | 0.09 % | industry median | +0.0 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 0.18 % | 6.46 % (avg) | -6.3 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | - | 6.56 % (avg) | - |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. SG&A and R&D as a share of revenue have limited coverage as this data is backfilled and appear only where reported. Higher capital intensity is not inherently negative; it reflects the industry's asset requirements.
Starbucks's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Restaurants industry average (106 companies, excluding loss-making/negative-equity outliers), alongside returns on capital for context on whether a premium or discount lines up with measurably stronger or weaker returns. See the full Restaurants industry valuation benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 57.8x | 28.3x | +29.6x |
| EV / EBITDA | 18.6x | 14.0x | +4.7x |
| P/B | -14.2x | 4.0x | -18.3x |
| Return on Equity | - | industry aggregate | - |
| Return on Invested Capital | 0.41 % | 4.47 % (avg) | -4.06 % |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. A valuation premium or discount is not, by itself, a judgment of over- or under-valuation. Compare it against the return and growth context shown elsewhere on this page.
Starbucks's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in company reports.| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | 11.22 % | 6.70 % | -14.10 % | 31.04 % | 8.41 % | 11.46 % | -1.47 % | 4.30 % |
| Operating Margin | 14.96 % | 15.88 % | 5.42 % | 16.92 % | 14.26 % | 16.64 % | 13.96 % | 7.18 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 23.62 % | 46.12 % | 6.64 % | 23.02 % | 25.66 % | 31.29 % | 22.00 % | 11.15 % |
| P/E | 24.6x | 24.6x | 178.7x | 29.6x | 35.0x | 24.3x | 29.9x | 68.8x |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
Starbucks's Strategic Group Map
Starbucks is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC are labeled. See Methodology: Strategic Group Map for how this chart is built.
Starbucks's trailing-12-month revenue growth of 4.5% and operating margin of 0.1% compares with an average of 6.0% growth and 1.4% margin across its 8 closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC -- Starbucks sits below that peer average on growth and below it on margin.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Extreme outlier values (from near-zero-revenue companies) are excluded from the plotted cloud but never from the highlighted company or its labeled peers.
Starbucks's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
See Methodology: BCG Growth-Share Matrix for how relative share and growth are calculated and thresholded.
Starbucks falls in the Dog quadrant: relative market share of 0.62x vs its largest competitor, in an industry growing revenue 4.7% (median, trailing 12 months).
Source: CSIMarket API (market-cap share and industry revenue growth). The 10% growth and 1.0x share lines are standard textbook thresholds, not derived from this industry's own distribution.
Starbucks's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | Moderate | Industry HHI of 1,590 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
Note: see Methodology: Porter's Five Forces. Supplier power and buyer power are covered on Starbucks's dedicated Suppliers and Customers pages, not here.
Starbucks's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
See Methodology: GE/McKinsey Matrix for how the two axes are built.
Starbucks falls in the Low attractiveness / Medium strength cell: Harvest.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
Starbucks's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
- Outperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
Weaknesses
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is decelerating (-2.7% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
Opportunities
No rule matched.
Threats
- Losing revenue share to the broader industry (-1.2 points over the past year).
Methodology: see Methodology: SWOT Analysis.
Starbucks's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starbucks Corporation | - | 0.79 | - |
| Mcdonald s Corporation | 0.28 | 1.04 | - |
| Luckin Coffee Inc | 0.27 | 1.70 | 0.25 |
| Yum Brands Inc | 0.30 | 0.86 | - |
| Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc | 0.28 | 0.91 | - |
| Restaurant Brands International Inc | - | 0.98 | 2.49 |
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Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Starbucks's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starbucks Corporation | Q2 2026 | -1.4 % | +87.1 % |
| Mcdonald s Corporation | Q2 2026 | +3.7 % | +4.8 % |
| Luckin Coffee Inc | Q4 2025 | +43.1 % | +27.9 % |
| Yum Brands Inc | Q2 2026 | +12.2 % | +58.8 % |
| Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc | Q3 2026 | +9.6 % | -11.1 % |
| Restaurant Brands International Inc | Q3 2026 | +3.1 % | +61.5 % |
| PEERS TOTAL | +9.9 % | +37.0 % |
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Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Starbucks's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starbucks Corporation | Q2 2026 | - | -48.6 % |
| Mcdonald s Corporation | Q2 2026 | +4.0 % | +13.5 % |
| Luckin Coffee Inc | Q4 2025 | +27.3 % | +18.7 % |
| Yum Brands Inc | Q2 2026 | +25.0 % | +40.8 % |
| Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc | Q3 2026 | - | +48.6 % |
| Restaurant Brands International Inc | Q3 2026 | +333.4 % | +18.0 % |
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Starbucks's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starbucks Corporation | 6.45% | 6.70% | - |
| Mcdonald s Corporation | 14.64% | 16.32% | - |
| Luckin Coffee Inc | 11.88% | 11.21% | 23.04% |
| Yum Brands Inc | 54.70% | 80.08% | - |
| Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc | 15.26% | 11.06% | 55.68% |
| Restaurant Brands International Inc | 7.82% | 7.44% | 36.85% |
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ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
Starbucks's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Starbucks Corporation | 60.71 | 3.14 |
| Mcdonald s Corporation | 22.48 | 7.10 |
| Luckin Coffee Inc | 24.29 | 12.74 |
| Yum Brands Inc | 20.29 | 5.12 |
| Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc | 32.13 | 3.43 |
| Restaurant Brands International Inc | 18.07 | 3.63 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 27.55 | 4.28 |
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P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.