Starbucks to give all North American salaried workers 2% raise, Bloomberg says

In a a shift from its previous practice of pay raises decided at managers’ discretion, Starbucks (SBUX) will give all salaried employees in North America a 2% raise this year, reported Bloomberg’s Daniela Sirtori. The company has asked executives to keep costs under control to help pay for upgrades it is undertaking and customers say they “can see and feel the differences these investments are making,” a Starbucks spokesperson is quoted as having said. “As we make these significant investments, we need to carefully manage all our other costs,” which involves “taking a consistent approach to merit increases across all teams” for the fiscal year that ends in late September, Bloomberg additionally quotes the spokesperson as having said.