Nestle to Take on 500 Starbucks Employees in Coffee Alliance

(Bloomberg) -- Nestle SA said it’s taking on about 500 employees from Starbucks Corp. as the two coffee sellers seal their consumer-goods alliance.

Nestle is hiring the employees in the U.S. and Europe, with the majority in Seattle and London, the Vevey, Switzerland-based company said Tuesday in a statement.

In May, Nestle agreed to pay $7.15 billion for the right to market Starbucks products from beans to capsules, marrying its international distribution network with the allure of one of the biggest names in coffee.

Nestle is harnessing the name recognition of Starbucks, with its 28,000 outlets around the globe and massive draw in the U.S. Nestle has struggled there for years with its own products like Nespresso and Dolce Gusto.

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