Starbucks has said it plans to hire 7,500 new baristas across the UK over the next five years, as the coffee chain presses on with an expansion drive despite a difficult trading backdrop.

The hiring plan follows an announcement in March, when the company said it would open 500 new coffee shops across the country by 2031. The new roles will support that growth, with the chain adding staff as new shops open.

The expansion comes as Starbucks continues a major turnaround under its chief executive, Brian Niccol. The company shut dozens of UK coffeehouses last year as part of the overhaul, which has focused on simplifying menus, improving staffing levels and cutting waiting times in stores.

A turnaround under way

Niccol's "Back to Starbucks" strategy centres on reviving the in-store experience, after a period in which customer traffic fell and the chain's shops became increasingly transactional. The company has brought back elements of the traditional coffeehouse, including ceramic mugs and condiment bars, while trying to make ordering faster and more reliable.

Recent trading figures suggest the plan is starting to work. Starbucks beat Wall Street expectations for quarterly comparable sales and earnings in late October, reporting global same-store sales growth of 7.2% in its fourth quarter, ahead of the 5.4% analysts had expected.

The company has also been restructuring to pay for the overhaul, including layoffs and store closures, to offset nearly $500 million of investment in labour as part of the turnaround.

Second-biggest chain in the UK

Starbucks is the UK's second-largest coffee shop chain, behind Costa, with just over 1,300 stores across the country. Results filed at Companies House showed its UK arm recorded an operating loss of £29.8 million for the 12 months to 28 September, up from £27.5 million a year earlier, as the cost of goods rose 10.1% and wage and benefit costs climbed 7.8%, partly reflecting the rise in employers' national insurance contributions.

Duncan Moir, president of Starbucks for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said in March that the expansion plans reflected confidence in the market's long-term growth, despite what he described as reduced discretionary spending and increased competition.

The company said in March that it planned to open more than 75 new shops in the present financial year as part of the expansion. The 7,500 new barista roles announced on Monday will be created over the next five years as those shops open.