Starbucks: Where’s the focus?

[private]Breaking news: I am a huge Starbucks cheerleader. But I just read that they are testing selling beer and wine in cafes that aren’t even called Starbucks. Yes I know that if the beer was Guinness I could have one stop shopping, but that is not the point.

Starbucks was built on a passion for coffee and every step away from it dilutes the core philosophy. Starbucks is under tremendous pressure from McDonalds. The casual Starbucks customer can easily be swayed to hit the drive up window at McDonalds to get an average cup of coffee with their Egg McMuffin. On the other hand the cheerleader who averages 17 visits per month (best in category) does not want to stand in line with kids clamoring for a Happy Meal. They want great coffee in a pleasant environment.

I can just see the cheerleader asking the barista for a double espresso while the customer behind asks for a Bud Light. That cheerleader will soon hit a small independent coffee shop that still has a passion for the perfectly pulled shot.

In Starbucks land or in carpet cleaning land when the cheerleader stops doing business with your company the business is withering and will soon die.[/private]