Starbucks shock and cutting out coffee!

[koolkat1980]

Hi guys, I just heard that over 600 starbucks shops have closed.

Who's no longer buying coffees or cutting down just to fill up their car these days?

I put my hand up! I also heard that over 1000 Gloria Jeans shops are to be closed down as well! :cry:

http://news.smh.com.au/world/americans-in-denial-as-starbucks-to-shut-600-coffee-shops-20080703-314e.html

[winneythepooh7]

Actually that's been kind of old news about Starbucks............they've been talking about it happening for awhile in the states, I think within the past couple of weeks though they've actually closed down the stores.

I'm not really a fan of Starbucks coffee or their prices so I can see how they are being effected. I also think a lot of people in general are just becoming more frugal and cutting out day to day expenses like these that do end up adding up to major $$$$ in a year's worth of time if you really think about it.

[koolkat1980]

The Starbucks closures cut about 1200 jobs I hear.

The retails stores here even had to hold the sales 1 month earlier than usual to try and get people to spend! When the sales started hardly anyone was in the shopping centre. :eek:

It's strange a few weeks back when it was announced that fuel was going up to $1.65 per litre there were less cars out on the road on weekends. But hey, looks like everyone's back again.

The housing market has also slowed!

I also heard that people in Europe are feeling the pinch more intensely than people here in Oz.

[LilGuillermo]

For me starbucks is on the other side of town, so I've go there like once in a purple moon. I've always gone to my Cuban coffee shop, where the prices are reasonable, everyone knows everyone, and the guy always knows exactly how I like my coffee. I don't need no stinkin' mochachino's or lattes, a cafe con leche will do just fine! gracias!

[AshleyJordan]

The article made a good point. In places like NYC, Starbuck's won't exactly be an endangered species even after several closings. I have some serious problems with parts of Starbuck's business model, but I do occasionally enjoy some of their coffee drinks, especially in the summer. . . really kind of a guilty pleasure. I probably get one of their large iced coffees/blended drinks a few times a week
during the summer . . . I'm more concerned with some of the sugar and fat in their blended drinks than spending a few bucks on my coffee fix. Those drinks are NOT healthy!

[FishOutOfWater]

I like Starbucks drinks, but I just can't afford to drink them very often. I usually only get drinks when I have a gift card. On top of the prices, there's the lines... to get a coffee before work I have to leave an hour early!!

[spokes]

i'd be interested to see how many place they shut down where there are locations across the street from each other.

whle i am not much of a fan of coffees or mokachino-lattachino-frapachino; the long lines at these places usually put me off.

[callyna81]

They just announced they will close most of the stores in Australia, and every last one in my state - see link

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=af4dM4JcYERs&refer=asia

The article is right - we DO have a pretty developed coffee culture here - but it's STARBUCKS. My local Starbucks wasn't exactly suffering from lack of patrons, and we're a city of 1 million and only have 3 Starbucks.

[koolkat1980]

Sure are....and they're closing more than originally thought...

Here's the one's they're closing in Australia as of 29 July 2008.

http://www.starbucks.com/australia/closures.pdf

[PenforPrez]

Lately, I've been avoiding my weekly Starbucks trip. I usually go on Wednesdays, but yesterday I didn't go as it was too hot after my walk. I'm just having trouble justifying $2 for a cup of honest coffee. :neutral:

Paul

[Deavan]

For me starbucks is on the other side of town, so I've go there like once in a purple moon. I've always gone to my Cuban coffee shop, where the prices are reasonable, everyone knows everyone, and the guy always knows exactly how I like my coffee. I don't need no stinkin' mochachino's or lattes, a cafe con leche will do just fine! gracias!

I freaking LOVE cafe con leche !!! Everytime I am in Miami I drink at least one or two a day!

[winneythepooh7]

I got one of those chocolate bananna vivanna thingies while I was in Penn Station about to catch my train today. I really wasn't impressed at all. But that's Starbucks for ya!

[PenforPrez]

I got one of those chocolate bananna vivanna thingies while I was in Penn Station about to catch my train today. I really wasn't impressed at all. But that's Starbucks for ya!

Here in the Midwest, Penn Station is a chain of sub shops. :p

[spokes]

wow, who would ahve ever have thought that opening up a starbucks every block and charging $4 for a cup of coffeee might have been a bad idea.

[PenforPrez]

wow, who would ahve ever have thought that opening up a starbucks every block and charging $4 for a cup of coffeee might have been a bad idea.

Who would have thought the same about selling tap water in a bottle?

[wordsmith]

Are those companies cutting back their outlets, too?

[callyna81]

Here in Australia, it's really only Starbucks, of the major coffee chains and stores, that has closed. Though there is a general retail downturn. I think they thought we'd mirror the US market, we didn't - coffee drinking is engrained in a more European way. Plus, Starbucks priced themselves out of the market - $4.50 for something that costs $3.00 everywhere else is stupid.

[koolkat1980]

Well, I suppose there's always Gloria Jeans! But, I prefer to make my own these days.

[callyna81]

I don't much like G.J's.
Plus there's a bit of a Hillsong undercurrent link I haven't quite worked out but seems rather odd.

[PenforPrez]

Here in St. Louis, it's been a disaster. Macy's just closed their regional office and warehouse here and laid off 900 executives. The Value City retail chain is closing, so there's more jobs down the tubes. God only knows what's going to happen now that Anheuser-Busch got bought out. St. Louis can't win at all right now. :(

Paul

[Echo]

I like Starbucks and their coffees are too expensive, which is why I only get tea most of the time. But I'm glad they're closing down 600 coffee houses, people start to get sick of starbucks when they see one every 2 minutes.

[nateb66]

i always try to avoid starbucks, although it's damn good. I try to make my own coffee, to save money, but when I'm strapped for time (quite often, actually) I tend to end up going to mcdonalds and getting the premium roast iced coffee. it's actually pretty good and like $2

[koolkat1980]

Anyway, I've stopped buying coffee these days. It's going to my gym membership instead and I really didn't know that GJ had a hillsong element to it. Heheh. I should have guessed.

I only buy coffee if I'm out with friends rather than every day. ;):

[winneythepooh7]

I'm not really supposed to be having much caffiene, but I've been cheating and getting the fresh brewed Iced tea at Dunkin' Donuts most mornings!!

[wordsmith]

It's much easier to just make my own in the a.m. than take the time to stop (esp. with a programmable coffee maker so it's ready when I wake up). I've got a bunch of Starbucks beans (my sister works for them and passed on a bunch of her free stuff), but I prefer the flavor of the ones from a local roasterie, so I'm using those. Partaking as we speak.