Interesting that the now defunct Sharper Image still has a website that says:
"Sorry to keep you in the dark. But, there's something big coming. Soon. Stay tuned."
Let me guess.....solar powered flashlight to help you find your way to your local 24 hour Starbucks which is....coming soon. (as soon as the city authorizes topless barristas who have to drop your coffee at least 4 feet from the table).
The new thing that's going to save the company......
oatmeal.
I kid you not. When I pulled up to my local drive thru SB at 5:30 AM, the barista said "Would you like try some oatmeal?" with a giggly voice. Even they think this is dumb.
David, thanks for your refreshing incredulity. I couldn't believe the analysts' reaction to this stuff yesterday -- excellent show of awareness by Starbucks that their customers are becoming more conscious about fiber and nutrients, way to distinguish their offerings and brand positioning from Dunkin' Donuts, blah blah blah. I kept thinking: OATMEAL. They think people are going to go to Starbucks for the delicious and nutritious OATMEAL.
I knew about this last week when we had dinner with some friends and one of their kids is a barista. She was laughing about it too. As if people aren't already aggravagted enough already waiting around for a breakfast sandwich.
Hi I'm back. This OATMEAL thing is wrong and sad and hilarious on so many levels. First, yeah, it's cheap as hell and easy to make at home. If I want oatmeal, as I often do in the fall and winter, I will make it on my stovetop for a net cost of pennies and net time investment of under 10 minutes including washing the pot and bowl afterwards. But what if I want some kind of pastry thing? I have to buy whatever I don't have on hand, and prepare and make a whole batch of them (which I am especially disinclined to do if all I want is one), then wait while the pastries bake. Such a hassle. This is why when I want pastry, I go to the coffee shop. And I thought that Starbucks' whole schtick was this "third place" idea, an little oasis between work and home where the atmosphere encourages a bit of harmless self-indulgence. How does oatmeal go with that? Oatmeal connotes ascetism and self-discipline compared to pastry, which qualities don't even stack up well against commerce, against going to a Starbucks in the first place. Argh. End of rant.
Comments
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/b ... cks30.html
Now get out there, be a good American and buy a home and a latte!
"Sorry to keep you in the dark. But, there's something big coming. Soon. Stay tuned."
Let me guess.....solar powered flashlight to help you find your way to your local 24 hour Starbucks which is....coming soon. (as soon as the city authorizes topless barristas who have to drop your coffee at least 4 feet from the table).
oatmeal.
I kid you not. When I pulled up to my local drive thru SB at 5:30 AM, the barista said "Would you like try some oatmeal?" with a giggly voice. Even they think this is dumb.
David, thanks for your refreshing incredulity. I couldn't believe the analysts' reaction to this stuff yesterday -- excellent show of awareness by Starbucks that their customers are becoming more conscious about fiber and nutrients, way to distinguish their offerings and brand positioning from Dunkin' Donuts, blah blah blah. I kept thinking: OATMEAL. They think people are going to go to Starbucks for the delicious and nutritious OATMEAL.
This is going to tank.
They could mark it up 8000%, and it would still appear cheap next to a maciato.
Stick to coffee, guys.
$2.45!!!
2 bowls will get something like 9 lbs of Quaker at Costco! Now that's a markup.