The World Newser is World News' daily blog. Here, you'll find our staff's thoughts on the day's news and the way we build our broadcast. Plus, we'll share reports from our team of correspondents in the field, as well as producers behind-the-scenes.
RECENT POSTS
- Documenting the Planet's Demise -- One Striking Photograph at a Time
- President Obama Answers Questions From Anti-Castro Blogger
- Jim Sciutto: A Tiny Town Salutes Its Fallen
- 10 Reasons the Belgians Hate the British
- Is Swine Flu Ebbing?
- Susan Boyle's First Album Makes Amazon CD Sales History
- Another Day, Another Recommendation to Relax Screening for Women
- Clem's Chronicles: Hasan's Emails/FAA outage/Afghanistan
- Herman Who? Unknown Chosen For First EU President
- Eight Years Later: 'Most Dangerous Place To Be Born'
- "New Moon" Turns Daughter Into Lobbyist
- Empty Shelves at Luxury Stores This Holiday Season?
WORLD NEWSER CATEGORIES
MONTHLY ARCHIVES
« Previous | Main | Next »
Starbucks Trying to be Less Like Starbucks
July 16, 2009 1:00 PM
ABC's Neal Karlinsky reports from Seattle:
As I sit here drinking a free cup of terrible drip coffee at the office, word is coming in that Starbucks is about to launch its latest attack on America’s already over caffeinated obsession with coffee. Apparently Starbucks believes the key to success might be -- just might be -- to be less like Starbucks. You follow?
The Seattle Times reports the coffee giant is about to take the wraps off of three new shops they’re dressing incognito. (Shhh, don’t tell anyone!) The stores will be branded with the names of their neighborhoods and no sign of the ubiquitous Starbucks symbol. They’re reportedly being designed as eco-friendly, rustic places where you can also buy a beer or glass of wine and listen to a poetry reading.
This, of course, comes on the heels of tough times for Starbucks which has seen plummeting earnings, layoffs and store closings recently. But is the answer imitating those cool, lesser known coffee houses?
McDonalds tried to be more like Starbucks by offering its own lattes. Starbucks tried to be more like McDonalds by offering hot breakfast meals. Dunkin Donuts tried to be like both of them with its own tasty brew. Starbucks tried to be like a record store by selling CD’s.
Now Starbucks wants to be someone else entirely -- at least in a few test stores. They want to be the original mom and pop coffee house -- a cool place to hang out, listen to live tunes and complain about corporate America’s plans to make everything, mind numbingly -- yet profitably -- the same.
July 16, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (14)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
How about drinking your coffee at your own mom and pop's house? I bet you can get it for free.
Posted by: ddg | Jul 16, 2009 1:29:33 PM
I'm from St. Louis, where a coffeehouse is a bohemian hangout and Starbucks is a place to get candy-flavored coffee drinks.
Now I live near Springfield, IL where all the "coffeehouses" close before it gets dark. Hm. It's coffee. The point is to stay awake for awhile.
The only places that stay open late around here are bars. Blech.
Anyway, I would love a Starbucks that was like a coffeehouse, because I like coffeehouses.
Posted by: Aejotz | Jul 16, 2009 1:40:09 PM
Dunkin Donuts was known for their coffee long before starbucks existed
Posted by: nm | Jul 16, 2009 1:42:00 PM
Webster- Geez,who cares. Double Space, Single Space, who cares. I'm not even 30 years old and I have a hard time not doing double space. It is just my natural typing style. I've even had to go back and change all my doubles to single when writing with someone else who is using singles. In the end who cares if you are consistent. Does it really hurt your eyes that much?
Posted by: synergymus | Jul 16, 2009 1:42:11 PM
It's the price, stupid.
Posted by: Ben | Jul 16, 2009 1:44:45 PM
Webster -- nothing better to do?
Posted by: FMJohnson | Jul 16, 2009 1:46:18 PM
Eh... I wouldn't care if it were still Starbucks, if it had good coffee and snacks and was a cool place to hang out. I'd hate to see it hurt an actual mom & pop coffee house, but then again there are so many neighborhoods in the D.C. suburbs (where I live) that don't even *have* a mom & pop coffee house... it'd be a big improvement, actually.
Posted by: Jen | Jul 16, 2009 1:58:01 PM
Starbucks still does not get it. I am going to Panera Bread for coffee not because they have better coffee, but because there is free wi-fi that I can kill some time between appointments.
McDonalds premium coffee? It is worse than the free coffee I get from local car dealers. I don't see how Starbucks would lose business to them.
What Starbucks needs to do is to offer a membership program to keep customer loyalty. At the same time, they need to offer free wi-fi to attract more business.
Posted by: zAAz | Jul 16, 2009 2:01:55 PM
Perhaps they should examine the fact that there are a great many outlets where a cup of perfectly good coffee, and even cappuccino, can be purchased for a buck.
There is no need, whatsoever, to pay $3. or more, for a cup of java.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | Jul 16, 2009 4:12:10 PM
Starbucks lost my business when they pushed Pikes down everyone. Nasty stuff that coffee!
Posted by: Tara | Jul 16, 2009 5:25:21 PM
Starbucks DOES offer free Wi-Fi to "customers". You have to use the loyalty card.
Posted by: Jon Dough | Jul 16, 2009 5:28:55 PM
Struggling retailers have been jumping on the loyalty card bandwagon, but who needs another loyalty card? I sure don't. I suggest Starbucks change their image/venues and drastically reduce the price. This just might lead to increased volume by selling more coffee to those of us who know that in smalltown USA (where I live) you can get a 12 oz. can of good coffee for $3.00 without a coupon or a loyalty card.
Posted by: Yvonne | Jul 16, 2009 8:49:03 PM
Rick McDaniel, you are so right about that Pike's crap. Starbucks at one point brewed different types of coffee's, that were almost always delicious. Then, inexplicably, they stop and now only brew that awful tasting Pike's place crap. I won't be going back anytime soon.
Posted by: Brandon | Jul 17, 2009 4:35:46 AM
For all you out of towners- Its Pike Place, not Pike's. And yes, it does matter! There was never anyone named Pike, hence its not possessive. Its named for Pike Street. Starbucks sells 'Pike Place' as their signature blend since their flagship store that opened in 1971 is in Pike Place Market. If you don't like the robust Pike blend just ask them for a different drip!
Posted by: Denise | Jul 20, 2009 12:02:06 PM
Post a comment
