Starbucks dumps current CEO so Howard Schultz could slide back into that slot.
People aren’t buying as many $4.00 coffee drinks at Starbucks as they were last year? Boo Hoo. Speculation is that the economic slumpage took a bite out of their numbers, but maybe there’s an alternative reason for their supposed setback. Maybe, just maybe people are getting tired of crappy coffee, overpriced to boot, on every street corner hawking their coffee snob wares. Perhaps consumers are tired of Starbucks’ quest to squash out small business. Could it be that their newer stores have too little furniture to sit down and enjoy a nice cup of mocha/latte/whatever, and their color scheme is so friggin’ dark you need a flashlight to see clearly once inside?
I’m pretty anti-Starbucks, but not completely. Due to their prolific nature, they do make a convenient meeting spot if the store is larger than a postage stamp. If I’m in dire need of coffee at 2 am, and want something a step above Denny’s sludge, Starbucks has a 24 hour drive through somewhere near to meet my need. Their coffee makes a good generic gift that can be easily regifted if the intended recipient is anti-Starbucks.
My biggest beef with Starbucks lately is their music and crap connection. The coolest, newest version of my favorite board game, Cranium, was only spotted locally in Starbucks, overpriced as usual. I’ll have to order it online. Some nifty compilation albums are Starbucks exclusives, again overpriced. I haven’t wanted the music bad enough to give in to cappichino cds.
It won’t break my heart to see a few brick red and olive green, accented with a touch of gold and plum, coffee marts close down. I know of at least seven within a three mile radius of my house. Also a quote from the article:
Schultz also hinted at a new customer loyalty program using Starbucks cards…
It warms the heart’s cockles, doesn’t it, the smell of newly minted plastic loyalty cards? Mmmmm.
I saw this news story, and started wondering how much they can turn around. I’m not convinced they can; and apparently like you, I don’t really want them to. Especially not if they’re going to start the phony-loyalty card crap. Even improving the flavor of their over-roasted coffee won’t get me to step inside if they start that program.
Even improving the flavor of their over-roasted coffee won’t get me to step inside if they start that program.
True, true. I don’t think I’ve shopped at Safeway for over 7 years; I think that’s when their loyalty card stupidity hit our area.