The Three Faces of Starbucks
July 23, 2009 by Marye Audet
Filed under Coffee News
Do you remember the old movie, The Three Faces of Eve? It was about a woman with multiple personality disorder, and if I remember correctly it was based on a real woman.
It seems to me that Starbucks is either experiencing adolescent angst or a corporate wide multiple personality disorder…or maybe they are grasping at straws. Over the past year they have:
- Added protein shakes
- Added sandwiches and other lunch items
- Pushed “new”instant coffee which tastes like “old” Maxwell House instant
I think there were a few other things. Now, that isn’t enough so they are trying to lose the Starbucks name and give their shops a new moniker. They will be renaming the shops after the streets that they are on to give them a bit more local “Mom and Pop” flair. I don’t know what they are going to do with the shop nearby that is on I-35 because I -35 Coffee and Tea doesn’t really do a lot for me. These local shops will be having things like poetry readings and live music…
Some will add wine and beer. So..is it a coffee shop or a bar and grill?
Maybe if they add strippers…
You can say what you want. You can say I am being critical, picky, heard-hearted…But the fact remains that Starbucks is losing sight of the fact that when you try to be all things to all people you become nothing to anyone. Starbucks has muddied the waters rather than waiting it out.
Sure, it is easy to say hat I would do from the position of my couch but I think I have a valid solution.
- Focus on coffee and tea drinks
- Bring in local pastries
- If there are more than 2 locations in a 10 mile radius close one of them
- Cut advertising budget 85 percent
- Cut salaries by 1/4 for everyone making over 150,000.00 per year.
- Pull out of everything that is not directly coffee or tea related:movies, dvds, radio stations…
- Rediscover who Starbucks is and focus on that rather than being in competition with McDonalds or anyone else.
Now, in case I need to explain any of that….Most people just want a place to go for decent coffee. They want to meet friends, have business meetings or take a break. Maybe something a little sweet is nice. Having a local bakery supply pastries will stimulate the local economy and the pastry will be fresh.
There is an area near me that has 4 Starbucks within 2 miles. How dumb is that?
Advertising is unnecessary at this point. Starbucks doesn’t need it. Everyone knows who they are. Salary cuts? 1/4 of 150,000.00 is 37,000.00, leaving 113,000.00- the person would still be making more than enough money to live comfortably on yet the company would save a significant amount. It is called not killing the goose that lays the golden egg.
And I think the rest is self explanatory.
I don’t want to see Starbucks go under. I want to see them flourish without being stupid. Now that they have run all the mom and pop places out of business if they go there is no one left.
If nothing else it will be interesting to watch…
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I think you made some really good points, especially #1. There’s a lot of things that I do like about Starbucks and that they have going for them, but they seem to be too busy trying out new things, trying to keep up with/copy the jonses.
Thanks Mike. I rag on them a lot but I have this thing against corporations..I am,, after all, a product of the 1960s. I dont want to see anyone go out of business…and I think if Starbucks will concentrate on one thing they will be able to ride it out. If not? I guess there is always McDonalds, a company that has prospered by creating cheap crap and capitalizing on it.
Hi Marye,
I haven’t been here in a while…not sure where I’ve been! But, I think if Starbuck’s goes out of business it serves them right! After all, they DID wipe all the little mom and pops off the face of planet earth. Besides, their coffee really is nasty ;-O.
Just thought I’d throw my opinion in there…hee hee!
How have you been?
x0×0 Cori
Cori ALWAYS great to see you. I agree. I would so much rather a mom and pop place but there are so few to be found in my area.
Lots of good points – I especially like the idea of serving food from local bakeries. (Though I still prefer a little local coffee shop, given the choice…)
But the idea of one Starbucks to a 10 mile radius makes me chuckle. I live in DC and there is literally a Starbucks every 3 blocks. If they closed even half of them, I think the city would cease to function!
Jo, we live in what you would consider a smallish population area… with suburban and country homes. To find 4 starbucks at one intersection is stupid! But I know what you are saying.