NEW YORK —

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Starbucks Corp. does not expect to assemble Wall Street’s profit expectations in the current quarter, the coffee retailer’s chief financial officer uttered Thursday.

CFO Troy Alstead said that he could not provide specific guidance, but that same-store sales have deteriorated to such a degree far in the circle of time, the company’s fiscal first territory. During the first few weeks of the quarter, same-store sales declined 9 percent, he aforesaid.

“We were not immune to the deepening impact” of the economic crisis, said Alstead, who said it was too at daybreak to say how sales for the quarter would end.

The comments came at an analysts conference at which Chief Executive Howard Schultz had earlier attempted to calm Wall Street’s fears about the company’s sliding sales, profits and stock price.

Starbucks shares were up 1.2 percent, or 10 cents, at $8.74 in midday trading. They had traded as high as $9.41 earlier in the twenty-four hours.

Schultz had told analysts that the company would emerge from an environment in which consumers are no longer because willing to consume in continuance small luxuries like $4 lattes as a stronger, leaner and greater degree of socially conscious company.

“When, not if, this environment does get bettor that Starbucks is going to be a stronger company for having gone through it,” he said.

But Schultz said to make its way from one side a period of falling consumer confidence, Starbucks could not drastically modify its identity or its brand.

“This is not the time, in the pattern of 30-plus years, after building one of the most recognized brands in the creation, to throw the baby out with the bath water,” he said.

Although principally consumers have been demanding value, Schultz uttered Starbucks cannot destroy its identity viewed like a premium brand and must offer value from one side that “lens.”

“We are not a fast-food operator,” he added. “We are not a abatement business.”

Several fast-food operators, most notably industry leader McDonald’sitting Corp., have become again competing with Starbucks by introducing their own latte-style drinks at grow less prices.

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