Starbucks to close up to 300 locations in Canada by the end of March

Starbucks says its plan to close up to 300 coffee shops across Canada will be complete by the end of March.

The Seattle-based coffeehouse and roastery chain announced the acceleration of its five-year "transformation strategy" last year as it responded to changes in consumer habits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement on Tuesday, the company saidsome of its locations closed last fall and it expects to complete its planned store closures by the end of its second quarter. The company hadabout 1,400 locations in Canada as of summer last year.

The restructuring includes adding new drive-thru locations, the expansion of delivery and a pilot of curbside pickup-only coffee shops.

The company began experimenting with pickup-only locations before the pandemic. The first Canadian Starbucks store using the new format, which measured 93 square metres, launched in Toronto's financial district last January.

The first new drive-thru is slated to open this month in Abbotsford, B.C.

Starbucks saidthe changes will help the coffee chain "best meet our customers where they are now."