There's some trouble going on at Starbucks. People are getting mad and even boycotting the company because they raised their prices. This has caused their sales to go down, especially in the US where sales have dropped by 3%. People are also upset because Starbucks is cracking down on workers who want to form a union. Some customers are also not happy with the company getting involved in political stuff.

The CEO of Starbucks, Laxman Narasimhan, admitted that their sales have been disappointing. He said it's because people are being cautious with their money and there's a lot of wrong information going around. To try and fix things, Starbucks is going to add new things to their menu, make their service faster, and do more promotions. They're also trying to get more people to join their rewards program. But they know it's going to take time to fix everything.

Starbucks' troubles are making people worried about how much money people are spending. Other fast-food places like McDonald's and Burger King are also seeing their sales go down. But experts think that Starbucks' problems are more about the company itself, not the whole economy. The company has been getting a lot of pressure from people who want the workers to form a union. They've also been criticized for their stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Starbucks is saying that the boycott and the union dispute are because people have the wrong information. They're trying to fix things with the union, but it's still hurting their sales. Experts think it's going to be hard for Starbucks to turn things around quickly, kind of like when Chipotle had that big problem with e-coli. Starbucks needs to do more to make people think better of them and make some improvements.

Original news source: Price hikes and boycotts: Is trouble brewing at Starbucks? (BBC)

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students will read the article and then work together to write a brief summary of the main points. They should focus on key details such as the reason for the boycott, the drop in sales, and Starbucks' efforts to fix the situation. Afterward, students can share their summaries with the class and discuss any differences or similarities.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Students will form small groups and take turns asking each other questions related to the article. For example, "Do you think Starbucks' decision to raise prices was a good idea?" or "Do you believe Starbucks' claim that the boycott is based on misinformation?" After everyone has had a chance to answer, the groups can discuss their opinions and any disagreements that arise.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of key vocabulary words from the article on the board. In pairs, students will take turns selecting a word and drawing a quick sketch to represent it. Their partner must then guess the word based on the drawing alone. This activity helps to reinforce vocabulary and comprehension of the article.
– Headline Creation
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, students will create catchy headlines for the article. The headlines should summarize the main points and attract readers' attention. Afterward, students can share their headlines with the class and discuss the different approaches they took.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups. One group will list the pros of Starbucks' actions (raising prices, cracking down on unions, etc.), while the other group will list the cons. Each group should discuss and provide reasons for their points. Afterward, the groups can present their lists to the class and have a debate to compare and contrast the pros and cons.

There's some trouble ? on at Starbucks. People are getting mad and even boycotting the company because they raised their ?. This has ? their sales to go down, especially in the US where sales have dropped by 3%. People are also upset because Starbucks is cracking down on workers who want to form a union. Some customers are also not ? with the company getting involved in political stuff. The CEO of Starbucks, Laxman Narasimhan, admitted that their ? have been disappointing. He said it's because people are being cautious with their ? and there's a lot of wrong information going around. To try and fix ?, Starbucks is going to add new things to their menu, make their service faster, and do more promotions. They're also ? to get more people to join their rewards program. But they know it's going to take time to fix everything. Starbucks' troubles are making people ? about how much money people are spending. Other fast-food places like McDonald's and Burger King are also ? their sales go down. But experts ? that Starbucks' problems are more about the ? itself, not the whole economy. The company has been getting a lot of pressure from people who want the workers to form a union. They've also been criticized for their stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict. Starbucks is saying that the boycott and the ? dispute are because ? have the wrong information. They're trying to fix things with the union, but it's still hurting their sales. Experts think it's going to be hard for Starbucks to turn things around quickly, kind of like when ? had that big ? with e-coli. Starbucks needs to do more to make people think better of them and make some improvements.

1. What is a boycott and why are people boycotting Starbucks?
2. How do you feel about Starbucks raising their prices? Why or why not?
3. Do you think it's fair for Starbucks to crack down on workers who want to form a union? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever been involved in a boycott? If so, what was it for and did it make a difference?
5. How would you feel if your favorite coffee shop got involved in political issues? Why?
6. Do you like Starbucks? Why or why not?
7. What do you think Starbucks can do to improve their sales and reputation?
8. How do you think Starbucks' troubles are affecting the economy?
9. Do you think it's important for workers to have the right to form a union? Why or why not?
10. Have you ever been disappointed by a company's service or product? How did it make you feel?
11. Do you think Starbucks' problems are more about the company itself or the whole economy? Why?
12. What do you think about Starbucks' stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict? Should companies get involved in political issues? Why or why not?
13. How do you think Starbucks can regain the trust of their customers?
14. Have you ever participated in a rewards program? If so, did it make you more likely to continue shopping at that store?
15. Do you think Starbucks will be able to turn things around quickly? Why or why not?

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