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Starbucks CEO: How To Brew A Successful Business

CHICAGO (CBS) – Howard Schultz, the man who changed the way Americans drink coffee and buy it, says consumers have continued supporting Starbucks because of its corporate policies.

Schultz says particularly appealing to customers is that Starbucks provides health insurance benefits to its employees.

"Starbucks, unlike most consumer brands, we're a people business," the Starbucks CEO told CBS 2's Bill Kurtis in Chicago. "One of the reasons we've succeeded so much over the last 18 months, during the financial crisis, is because the values of the company have been as important as anything we do."

Schultz says Starbucks has also responded to customer expectations about the content of food products. The company has removed trans fats and artificial flavorings in the past year.

Schultz on Tuesday will be signing his new book, "Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul" at Chicago's downtown Borders store at 150 N. State St. at 12:30 p.m.

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