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[b_and_m_81]

So, Starbucks is closing 61 of it's 84 Australian stores. I've only been there the once - thanks Miketroll! - and didn't think it was good enouhg to go back when there's so many tasty independent options. Apparently a lot of people feel that way. A marketing guru who has been quoted on the news stories says "Starbucks' original success had a lot to

Comments

[sunneschii]

Hurray! That's excellent news! :-)

(And no, I don't like Starbucks.)

[miketroll]

I'm not a fan of Starbucks either, but when we met in Brissie, it was the nearest place to sit down and talk. Its original success is a mystery to me. We have heaps of Starbucks in Cardiff, but they didn't introduce us to European coffee culture!

It was probably just powerfully suggestive marketing: suddenly plant three new coffee shops in one street, all with the same bold logo, and people may be forgiven for thinking, "Wow! Starbucks must be cool to be so successful!" So the prophecy fulfils itself.

Starbucks has also been accused of trying to saturate the market to kill off independent competition, and in those terms closing lots of shops would be part of the strategy. Don't know if it's true. People hate big chains just for being big and like to spread nasty tales about them.

[danadoodle]

what i don't understand is how does starbucks with a mcdonald's setting demonstrate european coffee culture?
thats not my impression of a euro coffee house at all.

never liked their coffee, but the bathrooms came in handy.

[silverjet_allie]

I think Starbucks is horrible - I can't understand why anyone would want to drink their weak, milky, cold coffee! If for some reason I find myself in a Starbucks, the only thing I'll actually drink is a chai tea latte, and I have to ask for it extra-hot otherwise they make it lukewarm and by the time I've taken two sips, it's gone cold. Yuck!

I much prefer Caffe Nero - they actually make good, proper-strength, hot coffee!

I'm thinking

[k_b_1]

tea is the new coffee