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Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Oct. 01, 2023
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Significant Accounting Policies Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Estimates
Description of Business
We purchase and roast high-quality coffees that we sell, along with handcrafted coffee and tea beverages and a variety of fresh and prepared food items, through our company-operated stores. We also sell a variety of coffee and tea products and license our trademarks through other channels such as licensed stores, grocery and foodservice. The grocery and foodservice business is primarily through our Global Coffee Alliance with Nestlé established in August 2018.
In this 10-K, Starbucks Corporation (together with its subsidiaries) is referred to as “Starbucks,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our.”
Segment information is prepared on the same basis that our management reviews financial information for operational decision-making purposes. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, certain changes were made to our management team, and our operating segment reporting structure was realigned as a result. We realigned our fully licensed Latin America and Caribbean markets from our Americas operating segment to our International operating segment. We renamed the Americas operating segment to the North America operating segment, since it is comprised of our company-operated and licensed stores in the U.S. and Canada. We also made certain other immaterial changes between our International operating segment and Corporate and Other. There was no impact on consolidated net revenues, total operating expenses, operating income or net earnings per share as a result of these changes.
We have three reportable operating segments: 1) North America, which is inclusive of the U.S. and Canada; 2) International, which is inclusive of China, Japan, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean; and 3) Channel Development. Non-reportable operating segments and unallocated corporate expenses are reported within Corporate and Other.
Additional details on the nature of our business and our reportable operating segments are included in Note 17, Segment Reporting.
Certain prior period information on the consolidated statements of cash flows have been reclassified to conform to the current presentation.
Principles of Consolidation
Our consolidated financial statements reflect the financial position and operating results of Starbucks, including wholly-owned subsidiaries and investees that we control. Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated.
Fiscal Year End
Our fiscal year ends on the Sunday closest to September 30. Fiscal years 2023, 2022 and 2021 included 52, 52 and 53 weeks, respectively. The 53rd week in fiscal 2021 fell in the fourth fiscal quarter.
Estimates and Assumptions
Preparing financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. Examples include, but are not limited to, estimates for inventory reserves, asset and goodwill impairments, assumptions underlying self-insurance reserves, income from unredeemed stored value cards, stock-based compensation forfeiture rates, future asset retirement obligations, commitments and contingencies, and the potential outcome of future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the financial statements. Actual results and outcomes may differ from these estimates and assumptions due to risks and uncertainties, including uncertainty in the current economic environment.
Restructuring
In fiscal 2022, we announced our plan in the U.S. market to increase efficiency while elevating the partner and customer experience (the “Reinvention Plan”). We believe the company-operated market investments in partner wages and trainings have increased retention and productivity while the acceleration of purpose-built store concepts and innovations in technologies have provided additional convenience and connection with our customers. As a result of the restructuring efforts in connection with the Reinvention Plan, we recorded approximately $22 million and $46 million to restructuring and impairments on our consolidated statements of earnings during fiscal years 2023 and 2022, respectively. Future restructuring and impairment costs attributable to our Reinvention Plan are not expected to be material.
In fiscal 2021, we substantially completed our plan to reposition our North America store portfolio, primarily in dense metropolitan markets by pursuing strategic store closures and focusing on new store formats that better cater to changing customer tastes and preferences. During fiscal 2021, we recorded approximately $155.4 million to restructuring and impairments on our consolidated statements of earnings. This total included $53.1 million related to disposal and impairment of company-operated store assets and $89.5 million primarily associated with accelerated amortization of ROU lease assets and other lease costs due to store closures prior to the end of contractual lease terms. As this restructuring plan was substantially completed in fiscal 2021, we did not recognize any material restructuring and impairment amounts related to this plan during the fiscal years ended October 1, 2023 and October 2, 2022.
As of October 1, 2023 and October 2, 2022, there were no material restructuring-related accrued liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
We consider all highly liquid instruments with maturities of three months or less at the time of purchase, as well as credit card receivables for sales to customers in our company-operated stores that generally settle within two to five business days, to be cash equivalents. We maintain cash and cash equivalent balances with financial institutions that exceed federally-insured limits. We have not experienced any losses related to these balances, and we believe credit risk to be minimal.
Our cash management system provides for the funding of all major bank disbursement accounts on a daily basis as checks are presented for payment. Under this system, outstanding checks are in excess of the cash balances at certain banks, which creates book overdrafts. Book overdrafts are presented as a current liability in accrued liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets.
Investments
Available-for-sale Debt Securities
Our short-term and long-term investments include investment-grade debt securities, all of which are classified as available-for-sale. Available-for-sale debt securities are recorded at fair value, and unrealized holding gains and losses are recorded, net of tax, as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income. Available-for-sale securities with remaining maturities of less than one year and those identified by management at the time of purchase to be used to fund operations within one year are classified as short-term. All other available-for-sale securities are classified as long-term. We evaluate our available-for-sale securities for other-than-temporary impairment on a quarterly basis. Unrealized losses are charged against net earnings when a decline in fair value is determined to be other than temporary. We review several factors to determine whether a loss is other than temporary, such as the length and extent of the fair value decline, the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer and whether we have the intent to sell or will more likely than not be required to sell before the securities' anticipated recovery, which may be at maturity. Realized gains and losses are accounted for using the specific identification method. Purchases and sales are recorded on a trade date basis.
Structured Deposits
We hold short-term, principal-protected structured deposits that provide returns in the form of both fixed and variable yields; such variable yields are indexed to foreign exchange rates, equity-linked instruments or interest rate indices. The Company has elected to account for these using the fair value option with gains and losses recorded in our consolidated statements of earnings. For fiscal 2023, 2022 and 2021, resulting gains and losses were immaterial to our consolidated statements of earnings.
Marketable Equity Securities
We also have a marketable equity securities portfolio, which is comprised of marketable equity mutual funds and equity exchange-traded funds. Marketable equity securities are recorded at fair value and approximates a portion of our liability under our Management Deferred Compensation Plan (“MDCP”). Gains or losses from the portfolio and the change in our MDCP liability are recorded in general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statements of earnings. Refer to Note 4, Fair Value Measurements, for further discussion of our MDCP liability.
Equity Investments
Equity investments are accounted for under the equity method if we are able to exercise significant influence, but not control, over an investee. Our share of the earnings or losses as reported by the investees is classified as income from equity investees on our consolidated statements of earnings. The investments are evaluated for impairment annually and when facts and circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. If a decline in fair value is determined to be other-than-temporary, an impairment charge is recorded in interest income and other, net on our consolidated statements of earnings.
We account for equity investments for which we do not have significant influence and without readily determinable fair values at cost with adjustments for observable changes in price or impairments as permitted by the measurement alternative. Investments for which the measurement alternative has been elected are assessed for impairment quarterly, or if a triggering
event indicates impairment may be present. Any adjustments as a result of price changes or impairments are recorded in interest income and other, net on our consolidated statements of earnings.
Fair Value
Fair value is the price we would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability (exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants. For assets and liabilities recorded or disclosed at fair value on a recurring basis, we determine fair value based on the following:
Level 1: The carrying value of cash and cash equivalents approximates fair value because of the short-term nature of these instruments. For equity and U.S. government treasury securities and commodity futures contracts, we use quoted prices in active markets for identical assets to determine fair value.
Level 2: When quoted prices in active markets for identical assets are not available, we determine the fair value of certain assets based upon factors such as the quoted market price of similar assets or a discounted cash flow model using readily observable market data, which may include interest rate curves and forward and spot prices for currencies and commodities, depending on the nature of the investment. The fair value of our long-term debt is estimated based on the quoted market prices for the same or similar issues or on the current rates offered to us for debt of the same remaining maturities.
Level 3: We determine the fair value of our auction rate securities using an internally-developed valuation model, using inputs that include interest rate curves, credit and liquidity spreads and effective maturity.
Assets and liabilities recognized or disclosed at fair value on a nonrecurring basis may include items such as property, plant and equipment, goodwill and other intangible assets, equity and other investments and other assets. We determine the fair value of these items using Level 3 inputs, as described in the related sections below.
Derivative Instruments
We manage our exposure to various risks within our consolidated financial statements according to a market price risk management policy. Under this policy, we may engage in transactions involving various derivative instruments to hedge interest rates, commodity prices and foreign currency-denominated revenue streams, inventory purchases, assets and liabilities and investments in certain foreign operations. In order to manage our exposure to these risks, we use various types of derivative instruments including forward contracts, commodity futures contracts, collars and swaps. Forward contracts and commodity futures contracts are agreements to buy or sell a quantity of a currency or commodity at a predetermined future date and at a predetermined rate or price. A collar is a strategy that uses a combination of a purchased call option and a sold put option with equal premiums to hedge a portion of anticipated cash flows, or to limit possible gains or losses on an underlying asset or liability to a specific range. A swap agreement is a contract between two parties to exchange cash flows based on specified underlying notional amounts, assets and/or indices. We do not enter into derivative instruments for speculative purposes.
We record all derivatives on our consolidated balance sheets at fair value and typically do not offset derivative assets and liabilities. Cash flows from derivative financial instruments and the related gains and losses are classified as cash flows from operating activities on the consolidated statements of cash flows. Excluding interest rate hedging instruments, cross-currency swaps and foreign currency debt hedging instruments, we generally do not enter into derivative instruments with maturities longer than three years. However, we are allowed to net settle transactions with respective counterparties for certain derivative contracts, inclusive of interest rate swaps and foreign currency forwards, with a single, net amount payable by one party to the other. We also enter into collateral security arrangements that provide for collateral to be received or posted when the net fair value of certain financial instruments fluctuates from contractually established thresholds. As of October 1, 2023 and October 2, 2022, cash collateral held under collateral security arrangements was $77.1 million and $74.3 million, respectively, and is included in other long-term liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets. As of October 1, 2023 and October 2, 2022, cash collateral pledged as part of our commodity derivative margin requirements was $20.6 million and $75.6 million, respectively, and is included in prepaid expenses and other current assets on our consolidated balance sheets. The potential effects of netting arrangements with our derivative contracts, excluding the effects of collateral, would not have had a material impact on our consolidated balance sheets.
By using these derivative instruments, we expose ourselves to potential credit risk. Credit risk is the failure of the counterparty to perform under the terms of the derivative contract. We minimize this credit risk by entering into transactions with carefully selected, credit-worthy counterparties and distribute contracts among several financial institutions to reduce the concentration of credit risk.
Cash Flow Hedges
For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a cash flow hedge, the derivative's gain or loss is reported as a component of other comprehensive income (“OCI”) and recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) on our consolidated balance sheets. The gain or loss is subsequently reclassified into net earnings when the hedged exposure affects net earnings, in the same line item as the underlying hedged item on our consolidated statements of earnings.
Cash flow hedges related to anticipated transactions are designated and documented at the inception of each hedge. Cash flows from hedging transactions are classified in the same categories as the cash flows from the respective hedged items. For de-designated cash flow hedges in which the transactions are no longer likely to occur, the related accumulated derivative gains or losses are recognized in interest income and other, net on our consolidated statements of earnings.
Net Investment Hedges
For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a net investment hedge, the derivative's, or qualifying non-derivative instrument’s gain or loss is reported as a component of OCI and recorded in AOCI. The gain or loss will be subsequently reclassified into net earnings when the hedged net investment is either sold or substantially liquidated.
Fair Value Hedges
For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a fair value hedge, the changes in fair value of the derivative instrument and the offsetting changes in fair value of the underlying hedged item due to changes in the hedged risk are recorded in interest income and other, net or interest expense on our consolidated statements of earnings.
Derivatives Not Designated As Hedging Instruments
We also enter into certain foreign currency forward contracts, commodity futures contracts, collars and swaps that are not designated as hedging instruments for accounting purposes. The changes in the fair values of these contracts are immediately recognized in interest income and other, net on our consolidated statements of earnings.
Normal Purchase Normal Sale
We enter into fixed-price and price-to-be-fixed green coffee purchase commitments, which we expect to take delivery and to utilize in a reasonable period of time in the ordinary course of business. Since these types of purchase commitments qualify for the normal purchase normal sale exemption, they are not recorded as derivative instruments on our consolidated balance sheets.
Refer to Note 3, Derivative Financial Instruments, and Note 5, Inventories, for further discussion of our derivative instruments and green coffee purchase commitments.
Receivables, net of Allowance for Credit Losses
Our receivables are mainly generated from product and equipment sales to and royalties from our licensees, as well as from our Global Coffee Alliance and other Channel Development customers. The primary indicators of the credit quality of our receivables are aging, payment history, economic sector information and outside credit monitoring, and are assessed on a quarterly basis. Our credit loss exposure is mainly concentrated in our accounts receivable portfolio. Our allowance for credit losses is calculated using a loss-rate method based on historical experience, current market conditions and reasonable forecasts. For the fiscal year ended October 1, 2023, we did not observe a significant deterioration of our receivable portfolio that required a significant increase in our allowance for credit losses. As of October 1, 2023 and October 2, 2022, our allowance for credit losses was $23.8 million and $27.2 million, respectively.
Inventories
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (primarily moving average cost) or net realizable value. We record inventory reserves for obsolete and slow-moving inventory and for estimated shrinkage between physical inventory counts. Inventory reserves are based on inventory obsolescence trends, historical experience and application of the specific identification method. As of October 1, 2023 and October 2, 2022, inventory reserves were $44.4 million and $43.1 million, respectively.
Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, plant and equipment is carried at cost less accumulated depreciation. Cost includes all direct costs necessary to acquire and prepare assets for use, including internal labor and overhead in some cases. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over estimated useful lives of the assets, generally ranging from 2 to 15 years for equipment and 30 to 40 years for buildings. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of their estimated useful lives or the related lease life, generally 10 years. For leases with renewal periods at our option, we generally use the original lease term, excluding renewal option periods, to determine estimated useful lives. If failure to exercise a renewal option imposes a significant economic penalty to us, we may determine at the inception of the lease that renewal is reasonably assured and include the renewal option period in the determination of the appropriate estimated useful lives.
The portion of depreciation expense related to production and distribution facilities is included in product and distribution costs on our consolidated statements of earnings. The costs of repairs and maintenance are expensed when incurred, while expenditures for refurbishments and improvements that significantly add to the productive capacity or extend the useful life of an asset are capitalized. When assets are disposed of, whether through retirement or sale, the net gain or loss is recognized in net earnings. Long-lived assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of their carrying amount or fair value less estimated costs to sell.
We evaluate property, plant and equipment for impairment when facts and circumstances indicate that the carrying values of such assets may not be recoverable. When evaluating for impairment, we first compare the carrying value of the asset to the asset’s estimated future undiscounted cash flows. If the estimated undiscounted future cash flows are less than the carrying value of the asset, we determine if we have an impairment loss by comparing the carrying value of the asset to the asset's estimated fair value and recognize an impairment charge when the asset’s carrying value exceeds its estimated fair value. The fair value of the asset is estimated using a discounted cash flow model based on forecasted future revenues and operating costs, using internal projections. Property, plant and equipment assets and ROU assets related to the store lease are grouped at the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets and liabilities. For company-operated store assets, the impairment test is performed at the individual store asset group level.
We recognized net disposition and impairment charges of $91.1 million, $66.6 million and $153.1 million in fiscal 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. We recorded $23.2 million, $14.3 million and $44.4 million of impairment losses within store operating expenses on our consolidated statements of earnings during the fiscal years ended October 1, 2023, October 2, 2022 and October 3, 2021, respectively. Of the total net disposition and impairment charges recorded in fiscal 2022 and 2021, $9.6 million and $53.1 million, respectively, were restructuring related and recorded in restructuring and impairment expenses. Unless it is restructuring related, the nature of the underlying asset that is impaired or disposed of will determine the operating expense line on which the related impact is recorded on our consolidated statements of earnings.
Leases
The majority of our leases are operating leases for our company-operated retail store locations. We also lease, among other things, roasting, distribution and warehouse facilities and office space for corporate administrative purposes.
We categorize leases as either operating or finance leases at the commencement date of the lease. Operating lease agreements may contain tenant improvement allowances, rent holidays, rent escalation clauses and/or contingent rent provisions. We have lease agreements with lease and non-lease components, which are accounted for together as a single lease component for all underlying classes of assets.
We recognize a ROU asset and lease liability for each operating and finance lease with a contractual term greater than 12 months at the time of lease inception. We do not record leases with an initial term of 12 months or less on our consolidated balance sheet but continue to record rent expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term. We review contracts for identified assets where we have the right to direct the use of the asset and record those agreements as embedded leases on our consolidated balance sheet. Our leases often include options to extend or terminate at our sole discretion, which are included in the determination of lease term when they are reasonably certain to be exercised.
Our lease liability represents the present value of future lease payments over the lease term. Given our policy election to combine lease and non-lease components, we also consider fixed common area maintenance (“CAM”) part of our fixed future lease payments; therefore, fixed CAM is also included in our lease liability.
We generally cannot determine the interest rate implicit in each of our leases. Therefore, we typically use market and term-specific incremental borrowing rates. Our incremental borrowing rate for a lease is the rate of interest we expect to pay on a collateralized basis to borrow an amount equal to the lease payments under similar terms. Because we do not borrow on a collateralized basis, we consider a combination of factors, including our credit-adjusted risk-free interest rate, the risk profile and funding cost of the specific geographic market of the lease, the lease term and the effect of adjusting the rate to reflect consideration of collateral. Our credit-adjusted risk-free rate takes into consideration interest rates we pay on our unsecured long-term bonds as well as quoted interest rates obtained from financial institutions.
Total lease costs recorded as rent and other occupancy costs include fixed operating lease costs, variable lease costs and short-term lease costs. Most of our real estate leases require we pay certain expenses, such as CAM costs, real estate taxes and other executory costs, of which the fixed portion is included in operating lease costs. We recognize operating lease costs on a straight-line basis over the lease term. In addition to the above costs, variable lease costs also include amounts based on a percentage of gross sales in excess of specified levels and are recognized when probable and are not included in determining the present value of our lease liability. Our lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants. A significant majority of our leases are related to our company-operated stores, and their related costs are recorded within store operating expenses.
The ROU asset is measured at the initial amount of the lease liability adjusted for lease payments made at or before the lease commencement date, initial direct costs and any tenant improvement allowances received. For operating leases, ROU assets are reduced over the lease term by the recognized straight-line lease expense less the amount of accretion of the lease liability determined using the effective interest method. For finance leases, ROU assets are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the useful life of the leased asset or the lease term. Interest expense on each finance lease liability is recognized utilizing the effective interest method. ROU assets are tested for impairment in the same manner as long-lived assets.
Additionally, we monitor for events or changes in circumstances that may require a reassessment of one of our leases and determine if a remeasurement is required. See Note 10, Leases, for additional details. For the fiscal year ended October 3, 2021, we recognized accelerated amortization of ROU lease assets and other lease costs of $89.5 million, due to planned store closures prior to the end of contractual lease terms, which were recorded in restructuring and impairments on the consolidated statement of earnings. In fiscal 2021, we substantially completed our plan to optimize our North America store portfolio, and we did not recognize any material restructuring and impairment amounts related to this plan during fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022.
Goodwill
We evaluate goodwill for impairment annually during our third fiscal quarter, or more frequently if an event occurs or circumstances change, such as material deterioration in performance or a significant number of store closures, that would indicate that impairment may exist. When evaluating goodwill for impairment, we may first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that a reporting unit is impaired. If we do not perform a qualitative assessment, or if we determine that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, we calculate the estimated fair value of the reporting unit. Fair value is typically calculated using a discounted cash flow model. For certain reporting units, where deemed appropriate, we may also utilize a market approach for estimating fair value. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds the estimated fair value, an impairment charge is recorded to reduce the carrying value to the estimated fair value.
As part of our ongoing operations, we may close certain stores within a reporting unit containing goodwill due to underperformance of the store or inability to renew our lease, among other reasons. We may abandon certain assets associated with a closed store, including leasehold improvements and other non-transferable assets. When a portion of a reporting unit that constitutes a business is to be disposed of, goodwill associated with the business is included in the carrying amount of the business in determining any loss on disposal. Our evaluation of whether the portion of a reporting unit being disposed of constitutes a business occurs on the date of abandonment. Although an operating store meets the accounting definition of a business prior to abandonment, it does not constitute a business on the closure date because the remaining assets on that date do not constitute an integrated set of activities (substantive processes) and assets that are capable of being managed for the purpose of providing a return to investors. As a result, when closing individual stores, we do not include goodwill in the calculation of any loss on disposal of the related assets.
We recorded no goodwill impairment during fiscal 2023, fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2021. See Note 8, Other Intangible Assets and Goodwill, for further information.
Other Intangible Assets
Other intangible assets include finite-lived intangible assets, which mainly consist of acquired and reacquired rights, trade secrets, licensing agreements, contract-based patents and copyrights. These assets are amortized over their estimated useful lives and are tested for impairment using a similar methodology to our property, plant and equipment, as described above.
Indefinite-lived intangibles, which consist primarily of trade names and trademarks, are tested for impairment annually during the third fiscal quarter, or more frequently if an event occurs or circumstances change that would indicate that impairment may exist. When evaluating other intangible assets for impairment, we may first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that an intangible asset group is impaired. If we do not perform the qualitative assessment, or if we determine that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of the intangible asset group exceeds its carrying amount, we calculate the estimated fair value of the intangible asset group. Fair value is the price a willing buyer would pay for the intangible asset group and is typically calculated using an income approach, such as a relief-from-royalty model. If the carrying amount of the intangible asset group exceeds the estimated fair value, an impairment charge is recorded to reduce the carrying value to the estimated fair value. In addition, we continuously monitor and may revise our intangible asset useful lives if and when facts and circumstances change.
There were no significant other intangible asset impairment charges recorded during fiscal years 2023, 2022 and 2021. See Note 8, Other Intangible Assets and Goodwill, for further information.
Insurance Reserves
We use a combination of insurance and self-insurance mechanisms, including a wholly-owned captive insurance entity and participation in a reinsurance treaty, to provide for the potential liabilities for certain risks, including workers’ compensation, healthcare benefits, general liability, property insurance and director and officers’ liability insurance. Liabilities associated with the risks that are retained by us are not discounted and are estimated, in part, by considering historical claims experience, demographics, exposure and severity factors and other actuarial assumptions.
Revenue Recognition
Consolidated revenues are presented net of intercompany eliminations for wholly-owned subsidiaries and investees controlled by us and for product sales to and royalty and other fees from licensees accounted for under the equity method. Additionally,
consolidated revenues are recognized net of any discounts, returns, allowances and sales incentives, including coupon redemptions and rebates.
Company-operated Store Revenues
Company-operated store revenues are recognized when payment is tendered at the point-of-sale as the performance obligation has been satisfied. For products sold via delivery platforms, contractual terms are evaluated for each service provider to determine gross versus net presentation and revenues are also recognized when control of products are transferred to the customers. Delivery service fees were immaterial in the periods presented. Company-operated store revenues are reported excluding sales, use or other transaction taxes that are collected from customers and remitted to taxing authorities.
Licensed Store Revenues
Licensed store revenues consist of product and equipment sales, royalties and other fees paid by licensees using the Starbucks brand. Sales of coffee, tea, food and related products are generally recognized upon shipment to licensees, depending on contract terms. Shipping charges billed to licensees are also recognized as revenue, and the related shipping costs are included in product and distribution costs on our consolidated statements of earnings.
We consider pre-opening services, including site evaluation and selection, store architectural/design and development and operational training, to be performance obligations that are separate from the license to operate under the Starbucks brand. These services provide distinct value to our licensees, including business and industry insight and knowledge that transfers value apart from the license. Revenues associated with pre-opening services are recognized upon completion of the related performance obligations, generally when a store is opened. Royalty revenues are recognized based upon a percentage of reported sales, and other continuing fees, such as marketing and service fees, are recognized as the performance obligations are met.
Stored Value Cards
Stored value cards can be activated through various channels, including at our company-operated and most licensed store locations, online at Starbucks.com or via mobile devices held by our customers and at certain other third-party websites and locations, such as grocery stores, although they cannot be reloaded at these third-party websites or locations. Amounts loaded onto stored value cards are initially recorded as deferred revenue and recognized as revenue upon redemption. Historically, the majority of stored value cards are redeemed within one year.
In many of our company-owned markets, including the U.S., our stored value cards do not have an expiration date nor do we charge service fees that cause a decrement to customer balances. Based on historical redemption rates, a portion of stored value cards is not expected to be redeemed and will be recognized as breakage over time in proportion to stored value card redemptions. The redemption rates are based on historical redemption patterns for each market, including the timing and business channel in which the card was activated or reloaded, and remittance to government agencies under unclaimed property laws, if applicable.
Breakage is recognized as company-operated stores and licensed stores revenue within the consolidated statement of earnings. For the fiscal years ended October 1, 2023, October 2, 2022 and October 3, 2021, we recognized breakage revenue of $196.1 million, $196.0 million and $164.5 million in company-operated store revenues, respectively, and $18.9 million, $16.7 million and $16.6 million in licensed store revenues, respectively.
Loyalty Program
Customers in the U.S., Canada and certain other countries who register their Starbucks Card are automatically enrolled in the Starbucks Rewards program, which is primarily a spend-based loyalty program. They earn loyalty points (“Stars”) in a variety of ways, including with each purchase at participating Starbucks stores. Starbucks Rewards members can earn Stars by paying with cash, credit or debit cards, or selected mobile wallets at company-operated and certain participating licensed stores in the U.S. and Canada. After accumulating a certain number of Stars, the customer earns a reward that can be redeemed for free product that, regardless of where the related Stars were earned within that country, will be honored at company-operated stores and certain participating licensed store locations in that same country.
We defer revenue associated with the estimated selling price of Stars earned by Starbucks Rewards members towards free products as each Star is earned and a corresponding liability is established in deferred revenue. This deferral is based on the estimated value of the product for which the reward is expected to be redeemed, net of estimated unredeemed Stars. Stars generally expire after six months.
When a customer redeems an earned reward, we recognize revenue for the redeemed product and reduce the related deferred revenue.
Other Revenues
Other revenues primarily include royalty revenues, sales of packaged coffee, tea and a variety of ready-to-drink beverages and single-serve coffee and tea products to customers outside of our company-operated and licensed stores. Sales of these products are generally recognized upon shipment to customers, depending on contract terms.
Other revenues also include product sales to and licensing revenue from Nestlé related to our Global Coffee Alliance. Product sales to Nestlé are generally recognized when the product is shipped whereas royalty revenues are recognized based on a percentage of reported sales.
Deferred Revenues
Our deferred revenue primarily consists of the up-front prepaid royalty from Nestlé, for which we have continuing performance obligations to support the Global Coffee Alliance, and our unredeemed stored value card liability and unredeemed Stars associated with our loyalty program. See Note 11, Deferred Revenue, for further information.
Disaggregation of Revenues
Revenues disaggregated by segment, product type and geographic area are disclosed in Note 17, Segment Reporting.
Product and Distribution Costs
Product and distribution costs primarily consist of raw materials, purchased goods, packaging costs and delivery-related expenses as well as operational costs of our supply chain organization, such as wages and benefits, occupancy costs and depreciation expenses, in support of sourcing, procuring, manufacturing, warehousing and transportation activities of products sold at our company-operated and licensed stores as well as through Channel Development and our other businesses. Also included are inventory and supply chain asset impairment costs.
Store Operating Expenses
Store operating expenses consist of costs incurred in our company-operated stores, primarily wages and benefits related to store partners (employees), occupancy costs, delivery commissions and other costs that directly support the operation and sales-related activities of those stores.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses primarily consist of wages and benefits, professional service fees and occupancy costs for corporate headquarters and regional offices that support our corporate functions, including technology, finance, legal and partner resources.
Advertising
We expense most advertising costs as they are incurred, except for certain production costs that are expensed the first time the advertising takes place. Advertising expenses totaled $507.8 million, $416.7 million and $305.1 million in fiscal 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Government Subsidies
On March 27, 2020, the U.S. government enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), which among other things, provided employer payroll tax credits for wages paid to employees who are unable to work during the COVID-19 pandemic and options to defer payroll tax payments for a limited period. Based on our evaluation of the CARES Act, we qualified for certain employer payroll tax credits as well as the deferral of payroll tax payments in the future. Additionally, the Canadian government enacted the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (“CEWS”) to help employers offset a portion of their employee wages for a limited period. We elected to treat qualified government subsidies from the U.S., Canada and other governments as offsets to the related operating expenses. The CARES Act and CEWS were no longer applicable to us in late fiscal 2021. The qualified payroll credits reduced our store operating expenses by $210.0 million on our consolidated statement of earnings during fiscal 2021. After netting the qualified credits against our payable, a receivable balance of $15.6 million and $69.4 million was included in prepaid expenses and other current assets as of October 1, 2023 and October 2, 2022, respectively. As of October 1, 2023, the deferred payroll tax payments have been remitted in full. As of October 2, 2022, deferred payroll tax payments of $116.5 million were included in accrued liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets.
Store Preopening Expenses
Costs incurred in connection with the start-up and promotion of new company-operated store openings are expensed as incurred.
Asset Retirement Obligations
We recognize a liability for the fair value of required asset retirement obligations (“ARO”) when such obligations are incurred. Our AROs are primarily associated with leasehold improvements, which, at the end of a lease, we are contractually obligated to remove in order to comply with the lease agreement. At the inception of a lease with such conditions, we record an ARO liability and a corresponding capital asset in an amount equal to the estimated fair value of the obligation. We estimate the liability using a number of assumptions, including store closing costs, cost inflation rates and discount rates, and accrete the liability to its projected future value over time. The capitalized asset is depreciated using the same depreciation convention as leasehold improvement assets. Upon satisfaction of the ARO conditions, any difference between the recorded ARO liability and the actual retirement costs incurred is recognized as a gain or loss in store operating expenses on our consolidated statements of earnings. As of October 1, 2023 and October 2, 2022, our net ARO assets included in property, plant and equipment were $25.6 million and $26.1 million, respectively, and our net ARO liabilities included in other long-term liabilities were $110.3 million and $104.7 million, respectively.
Stock-based Compensation
We maintain several equity incentive plans under which we may grant non-qualified stock options, incentive stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units (“RSUs”) or stock appreciation rights to employees, non-employee directors and consultants; stock options have not been broadly used as part of our compensation strategy in recent years. We also have an employee stock purchase plan (“ESPP”). RSUs issued by us are equivalent to nonvested shares under the applicable accounting guidance. We record stock-based compensation expense based on the fair value of stock awards at the grant date and recognize the expense over the related service period following a graded vesting expense schedule. Expense for performance-based RSUs is recognized when it is probable the performance goal will be achieved. Performance goals are determined by the Board and may include measures such as earnings per share, operating income, return on invested capital, total shareholder return and metrics focused on building inclusive and diverse teams. The fair value of each stock option granted is estimated on the grant date using the Black-Scholes-Merton option valuation model. The assumptions used to calculate the fair value of options granted are evaluated and revised, as necessary, to reflect market conditions and our historical experience. The fair value of RSUs is based on the closing price of Starbucks common stock on the award date, less the present value of expected dividends not received during the vesting period. If applicable, our total shareholder return relative to our peer group is incorporated into the underlying assumptions using a Monte Carlo simulation valuation model to calculate grant date fair value. Compensation expense is recognized over the requisite service period for each separately vesting portion of the award, and only for those awards expected to vest, with forfeitures estimated at the date of grant based on our historical experience and future expectations.
Foreign Currency Translation
Our international operations generally use their local currency as their functional currency. Assets and liabilities are translated at exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date. Income and expense accounts are translated at the average monthly exchange rates during the year. Resulting translation adjustments are reported as a component of OCI and recorded in AOCI on our consolidated balance sheets.
Income Taxes
We compute income taxes using the asset and liability method, under which deferred income taxes are recognized based on the differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and the respective tax bases of our assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using current enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which we expect the temporary differences to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred taxes is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.
We routinely evaluate the likelihood of realizing the benefit of our deferred tax assets and may record a valuation allowance if, based on all available evidence, we determine that some portion of the tax benefit will not be realized. In evaluating our ability to recover our deferred tax assets within the jurisdictions from which they arise, we consider all available positive and negative evidence, including scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies and results of recent operations. If we determine that we would be able to realize our deferred tax assets in the future in excess of their net recorded amount, we would make an adjustment to the deferred tax asset valuation allowance, which would reduce the provision for income taxes.
In addition, our income tax returns are periodically audited by domestic and foreign tax authorities. These audits include review of our tax filing positions, including the timing and amount of deductions taken and the allocation of income between tax jurisdictions. We evaluate our exposures associated with our various tax filing positions and recognize a tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained upon examination by the relevant taxing authorities, including resolutions of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits of our position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. For uncertain tax positions that do not meet this threshold, we record a related liability. We adjust our unrecognized tax benefit liability and income tax expense in the
period in which the uncertain tax position is effectively settled, the statute of limitations expires for the relevant taxing authority to examine the tax position or when new information becomes available.
Starbucks recognizes interest and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense on our consolidated statements of earnings. Accrued interest and penalties are included within the related tax balances on our consolidated balance sheets.
Global intangible low-taxed income (“GILTI”) provisions are applied, providing an incremental tax on foreign income. We have made a policy election to classify taxes due under the GILTI provision as a current period expense.
Earnings per Share
Basic earnings per share is computed based on the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share is computed based on the weighted average number of shares of common stock and the effect of dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period, calculated using the treasury stock method. Dilutive potential common shares include outstanding stock options and RSUs. Performance-based RSUs are considered dilutive when the related performance criterion has been met.
Common Stock Share Repurchases
We may repurchase shares of Starbucks common stock under a program authorized by our Board, including pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan meeting the requirements of Rule 10b5-1(c)(1) of the Exchange Act. Under applicable Washington State law, shares repurchased are retired and not displayed separately as treasury stock on the financial statements. Instead, the par value of repurchased shares is deducted from common stock and the excess repurchase price over par value is deducted from additional paid-in capital and from retained earnings (deficit).
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
In the first quarter of fiscal 2022, we adopted the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued guidance related to reference rate reform. The pronouncement provides temporary optional expedients and exceptions to the current guidance on contract modifications and hedge accounting to ease the financial reporting burden related to the expected market transition from the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) and other interbank offered rates to alternative reference rates. The guidance was effective upon issuance and generally can be applied to applicable contract modifications through December 31, 2024. The adoption of the new guidance did not have a material impact on our financial statements.
In June 2016, the FASB issued guidance replacing the incurred loss impairment methodology with a new methodology that reflects current expected credit losses on financial assets, including receivables and available-for-sale securities. The new methodology requires entities to estimate and recognize expected credit losses each reporting period. The guidance was adopted during the first quarter of fiscal 2021 under the modified retrospective approach and resulted in a $2.2 million transition adjustment to opening shareholders’ retained deficit on our consolidated statements of equity.