Dividend Stock Portfolio: Top 10 Stocks to Buy According to Reddit

8. Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 65

On June 15, Reuters reported that Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) Korea will close all of its stores across the country at 3 p.m. on June 22. This step is taken to conduct staff training focused on historical awareness and social sensitivity. The announcement was made by operator Shinsegae Group on Monday following public backlash over a recent marketing campaign.

The company faced widespread criticism after a campaign launched last month was seen as evoking the 1980 military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. According to the company, the controversy led to a “very significant” decline in sales.

As part of the training, a history professor from Sungkyunkwan University will deliver a lecture on historical awareness. The session will cover major events in South Korea’s modern and contemporary history since the 1950s and examine how those events should be understood.

The company said this will be the first time Starbucks Korea has implemented a nationwide early closure since opening in the country in 1999. Starbucks Korea also plans to strengthen its marketing review process. Shinsegae said the company will introduce a social-sensitivity checklist that covers areas such as history, commemorative dates, politics, disasters, military issues, gender, violence, and hate expressions.

According to Starbucks Korea’s annual impact report, the company operated more than 2,000 stores in the country at the end of 2024. Data firm WISEAPP identified it as South Korea’s leading coffee chain based on customer payments.

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) is a global roaster, marketer, and retailer of specialty coffee. Its North America segment includes operations in the United States and Canada. Its International segment covers China, Japan, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.