Starbucks rolls out its summer lineup as cold drinks drive sales growth

Starbucks is signaling the start of warmer weather by rolling out its summer menu, and investors can expect sales to heat up as customers clamor for its chilled drinks.

Even in the chilly winter months, cold beverages have helped Starbucks’ sales grow. So the company’s strategy has focused its innovation on cold options, like cold foam. Another chilled beverage innovation, Nitro Cold Brew, is available in about half of its U.S. stores as Starbucks targets nationwide availability by the end of year.

In its second quarter, the company reported that sales at stores open at least 12 months rose 3%, beating Wall Street’s estimates of 2.9%. Starbucks attributed the growth to a 3% increase in average customer ticket. Nearly half of the ticket growth came from custome