Oh Starbucks…
Everyone seems to love taking a shot at Starbucks. Its stock price has plummeted over the last couple of years, it has started scaling back expansion plans, and even has a new CEO. What’s more, the company just announced plans to close 600 stores in the U.S. There are also those who complain about the Starbucks service, ranging from breakfast sandwiches which “interfere with the smell of coffee” to their new Piker Place Roast Coffee, which isn’t “boldenough”. Apparently, even McDonald’s serves better coffee. The sign of a crumbling empire?
No way.
Could you possibly imagine the world without Starbucks? I couldn’t. Its about time that people realize that Starbucks isn’t about just coffee, but rather, the experience. It’s a place where people hang out, take a break from life, or even get work done in a great ambiance. You wouldn’t catch me saying: “Hey, want to grab coffee sometime?… We could go to that McDonald’s down the street.” No coffee company is the world has nearly as much brand recognition or as strong a fan base. Sure, Starbucks may not grow as much as it used to, but then again, which company grows for eternity? It also has great prospects internationally, and being a mature company is not necessarily a bad thing.
