Starbucks warned Wall Street on Thursday that its profit would fall short of analysts' expectations this quarter during a conference that began with Chief Executive Howard Schultz trying to assuage concerns about the recession's effect on the coffee retailer.Chief financial officer Troy Alstead said same-store sales have deteriorated 9 percent in the U.S. since the company's fiscal first quarter began at the end of September.Investors had hoped the 8 percent decline in U.S. sales that Starbucks reported for its fourth quarter compared with the same period a year earlier would be the company's worst drop. Sales have been particularly dismal in those states that have been hardest hit by foreclosures, most notably California and Florida, which together make up about 30 percent of the company's store base.
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