Starbucks see bright spot in Oct. comps

SEATTLE Negative customer traffic trends continued into Starbucks’ September-ended fourth quarter, but a slight improvement so far this month may indicate a corner has been turned for the struggling coffee chain, corporate officials said late Wednesday.

Howard Schultz, Starbucks' chairman, president and chief executive, said the chain “may have hit bottom in terms of negative transactions in our fourth quarter.” The company added that October same-store sales