Consumer slowdown scalds Starbucks

I have to agree, “Pikes Place” blend is tasteless and not worthy of entering the store sorry to say. May as well have a cup of 7-11 or fast-food blends. They need to offer a version of their other blends to keep the “regulars” happy and stop trying to pander to those who have no real taste in coffee to begin with.

The lower earnings are no suprise. They deserved a hit after their last price increase. Even loyal customers (like myself) are finally fed up with the ridiculous prices. I’m using up a gift card, then I’m done with Starbucks.

I HAVE to agree with you. They open SIX new Starbucks every business day. They have COMPLETELY lost control of quality. I can still choke down an occasional latte there, BUT if there is a line, I find that I don’t need it that badly, just walk on. I think this slope will continue downwards, just like their quality….btw I am an AVID coffee drinker.

All of the talk of a weakening economy impacting Starbuck’s sales is a huge distraction from a larger problem I have seen brewing for some time….Quality! I have all but given up on my local Starbuck’s because the every changing chorus of barista’s can not make a drink properly! Wrong milk, not putting shots of espresso in drinks, or handing me the wrong coffee altogether. I thought it was just bad luck for me living near a bad store but on a recent family visit to the Bay Area, I ran into the same problems! It took one person three attempts to make my drink properly! I know what everyone must be thinking right now! Oh this is one of those guys who orders complicated drinks with fifteen different adds or no-adds with extra-hot this or that! And then complains when they miss number 13 on the list-I would like the record to show that I am not one of those people-all I order is an Iced Vanilla Latte with non-fat milk. If Starbucks wants to turn around its business they should start focusing on making a quality beverage that they built the business on in the first place, especially if I am paying $3.75-and hire some barista’s who know what they are doing. Maybe I should just start going to Pete’s Coffee or the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf?

Cant lower the price or you will “cheapen” the experience, no pun intended. It is like Versace having a sale, cept its gourmet mud and not $10000 fashion.

I also switched to McD’s coffee which I think is better and even a bit cheaper than S’s new drip blend, a strange mix for people who claim to know coffee. However,under the arches I never find free newspapers to read.It’s that awful Pike’s Peak Blend,Starbucks!

Pike’s Place is disgusting. I even have the free coupon that I can use every Wednesday until May 28th. I put it in the trash.

My local Starbucks are mostly inefficiently organized so the line waiting time is horrendous, they get the order wrong 50% of the time, and it’s expensive. The guys in the metal carts out on the street (I live in NYC) are perfect every time. My brand loyalty is dwindling. I suppose they can blame it on the economy if they want, but it’s only an indirect relationship - the state of the economy is forcing me to not cut them any slack any more.

Starbucks should be called Overpriced Starsux. The best coffee comes from Juan Valdez in Colombia.

Wow-I hope the previous commentator-Michael is wrong about Pike Place-but he’s probably correct. I’m a Starbuck’s shareholder but I’ve always thought that the concept of the “Starbuck’s experience” was a crock.I’ve found that their coffee was way too strong and overrated. Those near anorexic soccer moms in their sweats, with their baseball caps and ponytails permeate towns like Lake Forest, IL. Breathlessly they leave Starbucks with their liquid status symbols in hand as they sprint towards their gas guzzling SUVs. What a vapid existence.

If their new Pike Place brewed coffee is any indication of their future, it doesn’t look good. I literally just picked a ‘tall’ cup up and after a minute of waiting for it to be brewed I had a taste of this new “experience”. Me and the customer before me, who ordered it too, took one sip and paused… Wow, absolutely no taste. Folger’s tastes better. For the same size cup and price, McDonald’s tastes way better.

So I’m not sure about this new experience. Starbucks might have a problem here. They just need to bite the bullet and lower their prices on their offerings and face the music that this is a different environment and their prices were never justified other than the fact that the new wealthy could afford it.