Starbucks Venti Worldwide Growth

On the market, Starbucks stock (SBUX) surges over 30% from US$30 in September to near $40 as management reveals a plan to have 40,000 coffee stores globally.

Thinking big is Starbucks mantra.

From the beverages currently served in 12,000 Starbucks stores around the globe, to robust sales growth in those cafes, to management's recently announced long-term goal of 40,000 coffee stores with more than 14,000 worldwide stores by fall 2007, Starbucks management continues to go forward boldly.

Fans of Starbucks coffee are aware of the three supersized beverages available at Starbucks omnipresent cafes around the world. And well they should. since even the smallest size (Tall) of the Strawberries & Creme Frappuccino with whip cream has 420 calories and 12 grams of fat. The Grande size has 580 calories and 17 grams of fat, while the Venti size has 770 calories and 19 grams of fat.

And if the number of calories in many of Starbucks exotic drinks are impressive, so are management's expansion plans. According to the Associated Press, the coffee retailer will more than triple its stores to 40,000 - albeit without committing to a firm deadline. Of those new stores 20,000 will be in countries outside the U.S. including fast-growing Brazil, India and Russia starting in 2007 as well as Egypt.

This frenzied pace of world expansion will be accompanies by soothing music: Starbucks announced that its coffee stores will play songs from Apple's iTunes online music service so that customers can listen to while enjoying Starbucks' big-time beverages. Drinkers can also purchase iTunes at Starbucks' cafes around the world.