What will starbucks do next?

[zane900 1]

It really doesn't surprise me. As to what they'll do next, I really can't imagine.

Take a good look at this smilie: Whilst remembering to substitute the blue color, imagine it on a 15-year-old's face. That's literally the face that I made when my friend Joel whispered this news to me during Social Studies.

"Like that song you hear playing at Starbucks, but just cannot wait until you get to a computer to download the song?"

You're problems solved. In certain select locations, Starbucks is offering the music currently playing on their speakers for download.

Some would call this a useful feature, and some would call it a useless one. I don't take either of these views. I don't particularly like Starbucks music. That is an opinion, and to people who do like the music, this might be an astonishingly useful new feature! Nevertheless, I never imagined that Starbucks would go to this extent to satisfy their customers.

Reference Link

[Voar Tok 4]

Well, I know I wont' be downloading any of their music. Never liked that stuff.

[BurroDiablo 222]

I've only ever been to a StarBucks once (shock and horror)...

I prefer Cafe Nero tbh... they serve the best Mint Frappe's on the planet... but apart from that, I can imagine if Cafe Nero plays that easy listening and Indie garbage while i'm sitting in there, StarBucks isn't exactly going to be blasting out Death Metal... so I shant be downloading anything

[Duke87 1,070]

So do they charge four dollars per song?

Seriously, Starbucks' biggest issue is that it's way overpriced. I can buy an entire bag of coffee grounds at the supermarket for less than a small ("Tall") cup of coffee at Starbucks. Or, if you want your coffee premade, Dunkin Donuts is a lot cheaper, too...

[Rymac91 15]

personaly, I'm not a coffee person. So I don't understand the popularity of it completely. I've also never actually been in a starbucks that wasn't part of a bookstore or grocery store. I have never bought anything from them either so it means pretty much nothing to me. And since all the starbucks here are in a store, they don't even play starbucks music.

I personaly think the idea is good, and will be great in some places, but ohio, isn't one of them

btw, could you change the title of the thread to something that explains it a bit better?

[zane900 1]

Originally posted by: Duke87 So do they charge four dollars per song?quote>

Well, my dear jester, I wouldn't go that far, but I totally agree with what you're getting at. However, not only are Starbucks prices way overpriced, they're also absurd! What else would you call a bottle of water costing more than an iced tea? Crazy....

Originally posted by: El Burro I've only ever been to a StarBucks once (shock and horror)...quote>

Trust me. You're not missing much.

Originally posted by: Rymac91I personaly think the idea is good, and will be great in some places,quote>

That's perfectly understandable. Different players, different strokes.

As for that word in bold, let's all try to take an extra few seconds to think about what we're posting.

Originally posted by: Rymac91btw, could you change the title of the thread to something that explains it a bit better?quote>

Sure thing! For the record, the former title was Songs Of Instant Gratification. The current one is still a bit vague, but I really can't help myself.

[MayorTim 16]

Who in their right mind would want to buy the sort of elevator music garbage they have playing at starbucks?

[Kevin 101]

Originally posted by: Duke87

 Dunkin Donuts is a lot cheaper, too...quote>

I like Dunkin Donuts better anyway

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: zane900

Originally posted by: El Burro I've only ever been to a StarBucks once (shock and horror)...quote>

Trust me. You're not missing much. quote>

Very true 

The whole Starbucks craze eludes me.  Granted, I'm not a coffee person.  But why don't more people do the math? 

Let's say you spend $7 a day on a tazo green tea frappuccino double mocha latte or whatever they call those things.  That's $35 a week (assuming you don't go there on weekends) which is $140 a month.  on coffee??

Worse, college students are using their loan money for this and, after interest, will wind up spending thousands of dollars just on coffee.

There are many things on this planet that elude me.  This is one of them.

[Haljackey 17,255]

Tim Horton's All the way! They use something called a RADIO in their doughnut shops.

[DuskTrooper 314]

I prefer home brewed, freshly ground stuff, from beans purchased at a nice little mom and pop coffee bean shop (small, but they have tons and tons of blends...).

You know you want it

[BurroDiablo 222]

That looks like its been sitting in your room for a few weeks

But seriously... I usually make coffee's like that too... add whipped cream and powdered Chocolate ... and maybe some Irish Whiskey

[Palpatine001 57]

Irish Whiskey goes good

As a professional barista at establishment that I will not name; it is amazing to see the public and coffee - could do a whole Geography of Coffee and Starbucks for a Masters Thesis at this rate at university

But this Starbucks craze - well confirms a sociologists notion of "Not much intellegence with the masses" by the way I am a Geographier not a Sociologist so don't quote me on that.

Anycase I make my own Flat White and Long Blacks at home , if I am out I usually gun for an OJ or a soft drink or even beer; if it must be a hot drink - go the hot chocolate but I will never go near StarScum

As for this music - lol the The Sims 2 has a better sound track than Starbucks does

[football_fever 6]

I work at Caribou Coffee, which is the 2nd largest chain behind Starbucks. I have to listen to the crap coming out of the speakers for 8 hours a day...it's completely ruined songs for me by playing already overplayed songs waay too much (The Fray anyone?)

Their music is probably pretty similar since Caribou tries in every way to be like them...which they fail miserably at.

PS- I hate the taste of coffee, and wouldn't go to Starbucks or Caribou if I didn't work at one. I also wouldn't be able to afford it. We just raised our prices again last monday to be "more similar" to Starbucks's prices. Don't drink coffee.

[ILL Tonkso 1,236]

Originally posted by: SkiGeek

Originally posted by: zane900

Originally posted by: El Burro I've only ever been to a StarBucks once (shock and horror)...quote>

Trust me. You're not missing much. quote>

Very true 

The whole Starbucks craze eludes me.  Granted, I'm not a coffee person.  But why don't more people do the math? 

Let's say you spend $7 a day on a tazo green tea frappuccino double mocha latte or whatever they call those things.  That's $35 a week (assuming you don't go there on weekends) which is $140 a month.  on coffee??

Worse, college students are using their loan money for this and, after interest, will wind up spending thousands of dollars just on coffee.

There are many things on this planet that elude me.  This is one of them.quote>

Unfortunatly its reached this side of the pond too. My friends are happy to spend £4 on a coffee drink, to me thats almost an hours pay (im on £5.35ph) gone on a cup of coffee. These places also justify charging over £1 for Tea, which as we all know, is in no shortage over here. Yet people still buy it. Naturally, being the largest (per capita) consumers of Coffee and Tea on the planet (Tea Especially), Starbucks and its rivals, Costa Coffee, Cafe Rouge and Cafe Nero are quids in.

[deadwoods 542]

Starbucks is a lot like McD's; it's not great quality but it tastes exactly the same everywhere in the world. So if you're somewhere where the local coffee is somewhat dubious, or you're just hankering for something you're familiar with, then Starbucks is the go. Plus I love being verbally assaulted by the bubbly Japanese staff all saying "ohay? gozaimasu" in the Tokyo stores.

[Easy Bakes 253]

I hate coffee.

Hate Starbucks.

Theres a point in Alrlington Tx were there is one across the street from another one.

[coolotter88 2]

That configuration is to take advantage of people with Alzheimers.

[GingerBlokey 30]

I adore Starbucks I honestly don't mind spending

[Voar Tok 4]

Originally posted by: Easy Bakes I hate coffee.

Hate Starbucks.

Theres a point in Alrlington Tx were there is one across the street from another one.

quote>

In Houston, there's an intersection where they have one in a stand-along building with Jamba Juice, one in a Barnes and Noble store across the road, and two or three in the Galleria across from the Barnes and Noble.  All of them on a single intersection.

To all the coffee drinkers out there: they say that coffee is an acquired taste.  How can you drink it long enough to acquire it if it tastes like crap to begin with?

[saltandsauce 0]

im a tea person really but starbucks coffee tastes and looks like mud

[Barbarossa 51]

.

  Edited September 7, 2012 by Barbarossa  

[zane900 1]

Speaking of Coffee, it seems as if Starbucks, McD's and now Walmart are all paying more for environmentally friendly coffee. As much as I appreciate their efforts, this can't be good news for us once we get to looking at the cash register price screen.

Maybe we should all start drinking iced coffee. You know...better for global warming...?

[Voar Tok 4]

My dad drinks iced coffee. You know how you get that generic stuff from the company coffee pot and pour it over ice. Yeah.

[zane900 1]

Originally posted by: Voar Tok My dad drinks iced coffee. You know how you get that generic stuff from the company coffee pot and pour it over ice. Yeah. quote>

Generic? Nevermore, Andrew! We're talking Starbucks!

[The_Dalai_Llama 15]

I've been to Starbucks only a few times ever and I never buy their coffee. Their music selection is not that bad if you're into something more mellow... in fact their musical tastes are pretty good.

[ccecill 52]

Well, they play Common's music at Starbucks, so I'd definately download it!

if I didn't have it...

[zane900 1]

Originally posted by: The_Dalai_Llama Their music selection is not that bad if you're into something more mellow.quote>

I rather like a mellow song or two much more than any horribly loud metal music. Even so, I don't like the specific choices of the company. As I've said before, different players, different strokes.

[Joesocwork 4]

I'll have to admit that I have a thing for Starbucks, or at least iced lattes, which I think (real) Starbucks stores do the best.  I discovered them back in my college days early '90's when I was doing crazy midnight shift hours as a mental health counselor in crises centers and then having to go straight to school and survive university classes in the morning before sleeping.  Iced lattes, (and I have no idea how I found them) were pretty soothing while keeping me going.  

I think the New York Times (in perhaps a certain anti-capitalism bias??)  missed the point of what Starbucks is doing.  I don't think it's about impulse buying as it is finding ways to promote and creating a cafe atmosphere to keep customers lingering in the store (and of course buying more of their products in the meantime).

Meanwhile: some more thoughts about Starbucks and coffee.

I didn't notice coffee until I started my iced lattes, but now I am pretty finicky about regular coffee.  I can't stand Columbian but I love French Roast and Sumatran brands.  I like strong brands but I don't care for fruity tasting coffee.  

I know my iced lattes so well I can look at a cup and tell the difference by the color, whether or not the coffee is decaf,  the number of shots of espresso, and whether or not the milk is whole or skim.  I also really like stores with crunchy thin sliver ice.

I think the music in a Starbucks is pretty eclectic.  I've heard almost every genre from folk to techno to R&B to opera to country.  I never know what I am going to expect when I walk in a store.

I can't stand Safeway Starbucks or other independent franchisees.  They're more expensive while skimping on what they put in.  I don't know how many times I've had to teach Safeways barristas how to make my drink:  Espresso first, milk next, Ice is last!!! 

Actually I think real Starbucks nickle and dime their customers too.  I'm just not going to pay $8 for a salad or $20 for a music cd.  I have gotten a couple of stuffed animals and "Akeelah (sp?) and the Bee" (a very delightful movie) for my kiddoes.  I don't like what they charge for apple cider or hot chocolate so I seldom take them in with me.  And due to the cost and personal health problems with my heart, I'm now in just barely once a week and only order decaf.  I think it may be helping me to lose weight too!

My favorite Starbucks anecdote is the first sequel to Shrek where Starbucks patrons flee a monster by running to the Starbucks across the street!

[S1acker 0]

The download service is actually in conjunction with Apple.

You can go into a Starbucks with your iPod Touch, iPhone or Laptop, open up the iTunes store and a Starbucks icon will appear showing you what's playing, recently played songs and allowing you to purchase said songs. Pretty cool technology, although I think it's kinda pointless .

apple.com/itunes/starbucks/