Starbucks Starbucks, along with its partner Delek Group of Israel, closed all six of its locations in Israel, citing "on-going operational challenges" and a "difficult business environment." The Starbucks location in the former imperial palace in Beijing closed in July 2007. The coffee shop had been a source of ongoing controversy since its opening in 2000 with protesters objecting that the presence of the American chain in this location "was trampling on Chinese culture." In July 2008, the company announced it was closing 600 underperforming company-owned stores and cutting U.S. expansion plans amid growing economic uncertainty. On July 29, 2008, Starbucks
Williams & Glyn branded branches which are part of the same group. The closures are expected to happen between July and November 2018 and result in the loss of almost 800 jobs. It is proposed that customers with Royal Bank of Scotland accounts will in future be able to use NatWest branches for counter services. In Late May, McEwan added that further branch closures could be announced before the end of the year. The closure of a further 54 branches was announced in September 2018 with an expected loss of 258 jobs. Initially planned to be called Williams & Glyn's Bank, it was