New Retail Grande at Starbucks

Starbucks Coffee Co. (Seattle) has announced that Jim Alling will become senior vp of North American Retail, with the mandate, the company said, “of maintaining Starbucks'aggressive retail growth plans and . . . continuously improving the customer experience.” Alling, who had been the senior vp of Business Alliances, will replace Bruce Craig, who is retiring at the end of 2001. Henry Suerth, who has been president and ceo at Hecklers Online, Inc., an online interactive entertainment content company, will fill Alling's previous position.

Alling began his career with Starbucks in 1997 as senior vp, Grocery, where he headed the effort to improve Starbucks'position selling whole bean coffee in grocery stores. He is also credited with helping build the Business Alliances operation into a $300 million unit by developing agreements in the foodservice, grocery and travel industries.