INTERNATIONAL 17th January 2011

Seattle-based roaster/retailing multinational Starbucks Corp in early January announced that it was to cut its name and the word "coffee" from its logo, a Reuters report said.

The logo--which will feature only the company's familiar green female siren illustration, but no text--is being changed because the company is preparing to move into non-coffee markets, according to a statement by CEO Howard Schultz.

Although Starbucks would always be a coffee company and retailer, he was quoted as saying, "it's possible that we'll have other products with our name on it and no coffee in it."

Starbucks has not changed its logo since 1992, and the new version is to appear on company products beginning in March, when the company will be celebrating its 40th birthday.