SonicAllstar

Smart Money Faceoff Review: Starbuck's Coffee

Nice Job Turley. i tend to agree with your points, although I hope 26 is the low ;-)
Starbucks greates asset is their employees who they treat well and who actually go to work and do a good job. It is hard to quantify this in numbers, but I have never walked out of starbucks thinking, the space or employees needed to be cleaned up. A great example is McDonalds...Only in Chicago have I been impressed with McDonalds. the rest of the time I have health concerns and double check the change I get.
I have been trying to think about how Starbucks can monetize their branding better and it is truly a difficult problem. Teaming up with Bookstores was a great idea, maybe venturing into stadiums and ballparks so we have a good alternative to beer (sorry hops lovers). I would buy their refridgerated drinks more if they had less fat and calories. Last but not least, they should move with a little more force into the energy drink market. A double shot is not exciting, but a quadruple shot calls my name loud and clear.
You are correct, people will downgrade their dinners before they give up their morning coffee, it is a small way of feeling good as people go into work, where they do not all feel good. The real question on the board for Starbucks is how do they improve the quality of their coffee so you do not want other coffee?