April 28 (Reuters) - Starbucks beat Wall Street estimates for quarterly comparable sales on Tuesday, saying investments in faster service and improved staffing under CEO Brian Niccol's efforts to turn around the coffee chain pulled in more customers.
Niccol's strategy to refocus Starbucks on in-store execution through measures like a simplified menu and shortened wait times has brought back consumers in its core U.S. market.
The world's largest coffee chain reported a 6.2% increase in global same‑store
sales for the second quarter, above analysts' expectations of a 3.7% rise, according to data compiled by LSEG.
Niccol has also rolled out the "Back to Starbucks" initiative, which includes improvements to worker compensation to boost employee retention and consistency on the floor following stalled talks with the union representing some U.S. baristas.
"Around the world, we're getting leaner and moving faster. We're holding ourselves accountable to clear standards. And clearly we are innovating with discipline. That focus is driving better execution. And, in turn, better results," Niccol said in a statement.
Overall visits to Starbucks rose 5.5% in the quarter, according to Placer.ai data, sustaining the recovery from last year's slump.
The company's quarterly consolidated operating margin was 9.4%, rising 120 basis points from the prior year.
(Reporting by Neil J Kanatt in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)
