What’s most interesting to me, reading this story in the New York Times is not the heavy-on-the-snark tone the writer adopts. That, when dealing with Starbucks, is only too easy, though admittedly fun, to do. But I find real interest in the customers in the story and their reaction to the closing of their local store.
Now the story makes it clear that even the long-time customers had not been coming to this particular Starbucks for very long. It hadn’t even been open two years. But even in that amount of time they had become committed “coffee drinkers” when the story at least implies that previously they hadn’t been. And no one quoted in the story says that they had stopped going to the store, or stopped going as often, due to recent huge increases in the cost of gasoline as may be suspected since it was located in a mini-mall off an expressway.
So it seems that as these 600 stores close, there will be a real pick-up opportunity for other retailers to nab the former Starbucks customers. The question then is, is there a way to bring those people into independent specialty coffee shops before they transfer their habits and routines to Dunkin’ Donuts and McDonalds?
Now in other news this week, this guy gave a speech to a few people in Berlin, Germany. It looked like this:
And Portland Trail Blazers rookie, selected 11th overall in this year’s draft, Jerryd Bayless snagged MVP of NBA Summer League. Held every year in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada, summer league is a chance for young players to work on their game and for older players to try to break into the NBA. Way to go, Jerryd! Welcome to Portland!
GOBAMA!