To be sure, Starbucks has a lot going for it as it confronts the challenge of regaining its growth. Nearly free of debt, it fuels expansion with internal cash fl ow. And Starbucks can maintain a tight grip on its image because stores are company-owned: There are no franchisees to get sloppy about running things. By relying on mystique and word of mouth, whether here or overseas, the company saves a bundle on marketing costs. Starbucks spends just $30 million annually on advertising, or roughly 1 percent of revenues, usually just for new fl avors of coffee drinks in the summer and product launches, such as its new in-store Web service. Most consumer companies its size shell out upwards of $300 million per year. Moreover, Starbucks for the fi rst time faces competition from large U.S. competitors such as McDonald’s and their new McCafés