The economy's as strong as it's been in years, and corporate earnings have collectively been even better than expected. By all accounts, companies--all companies--should be thriving. And most are.

Not every company though. A handful of notable outfits are strangely struggling, choosing to play defense rather than offense. Some are laying workers off. Others are shuttering locations. Still others are selling off underperforming businesses.

Retreating isn't necessarily a bad move. Sometimes it makes strategic sense to take a step back and regroup. Most of the time when a company back-pedals, however, it's a less-than-encouraging clue.

To that end, here's a look at seven noteworthy corporations in retreat mode. For some, the ultimate result may well be a healthier business. Keep an eye on each company's progress to judge for yourself. In none of the cases, though, should shareholders be thrilled about the underlying reasons for the defensiveness.

Starbucks

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The oft-recycled joke about a Starbucks () being found on every).