EXCERPT FROM ORGINAL ARTICLE
Starbucks Announces New Upgrades
Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2008 By BARBARA KIVIAT Coming soon to your corner Starbucks: More coffee-ness.
Elaine Thompson / AP
Starbucks is changing, it is on their transformation stage.
Although they still beleive that "location" is still the most significant factor in increasing sales just like McDonald, Pizza Hut and sort... they got a new plan, and they are confident and optimistic about it.
Why the new plan?
Well..The new plans preceeds after two very rough quarters in the U.S market
the reason number 1 is U.S. business fall, and softening consumer spending.
So what are the specifics of the plan?
loyalty-rewards program
starting in mid-April for anyone who buys a Starbucks card and registers it online.
1.will get free refills on drip coffee,
2.a free cup of coffee when they buy a bag of whole bean coffee,
3.two free hours of Wi-Fi a day
4.and free upgrades — including syrups, soy milk, and extra whipped cream — on all lattes.
Also, they are introducing a new blend
Pike Place Roast
this is an old fashioned coffee making process : HAND DRIP that baristas use
AND MORE!
Starbucks plans to roll out a new espresso machine, the Mastrena, which is half a foot shorter than the current Verismo model and will let customers more easily see baristas making drinks. The new machine also gives baristas more freedom to pull different sorts of shots — such as a ristretto (which takes less water) and a long shot (which takes more) — and to more closely control the process of steaming milk.
AND HERE IS THE REAL STARBUCKS PLAN
The company will introduce a web site for customers and another for employees to share thoughts with the people who run Starbucks. MyStarbucksIdea.com will initially include about a dozen categories, such as coffee, atmosphere, food, music and social responsibility. People will be able to post, discuss and vote for ideas, such as having a separate line for customers who want to quickly order drip coffee. Forty-eight Starbucks employees will respond to the posts and take suggestions back to management. "Their job is to show up every day and engage with customers about their ideas," says chief technology officer Chris Bruzzo.
REMEMBER?
Today, in class Prof. Abraham Lee talked about Boston consulting group chart?
DOGS-PROBLEM CHILD-STARS-CASH COW?
Well, I remember, that starbucks started a "DOG BUSINESS"
which was : procucing CDs, promoting movis, selling teddy bears and warming up breakfast sandwiches. THEY WERE DETERMINATE ABOUT KILLING THE DOGS.
They are back "ON THE RIGHT TRACK"
HOWEVER
the article states: "Unlike many sellers of coffee, Starbucks sources its own beans from Latin America and etc... and other players don't"
-> I found this disturbing as a "COFFEE BEAN" fan, I mean Coffee bean do go out to the fields of africa, pacific, and latin America as well!...
Well, the Good News is, We hope to see the Starbucks TRANSFORM!
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