Mr Schultz has had to acceleratethe store-closure programme that hehadstarted in order tocorrectthe over-expansion which prompted hisreturn to the helm.
Mr. Agassi's departure as chief executive would follow a pattern among other start-ups in which founders are replaced at the helm by managers in order to oversee growth.
At the helm less than a year, CEO Ron Johnson has struggled to implement his new company vision in order to transform the organization, which was traditionally dependent on coupons and discounts to drive sales.