The Starbucks Reverse Jinx
Posted on December 28, 2007 - Filed Under Food, Consumerism, Finance |
This delightful coinage taken from an article on Slate describes how the looming coffee monster we call Starbucks is actually helping improve coffee sales for local shops. There is this assumption that our communities were overflowing with locally run coffee shops until the dreaded Starbucks moved in plucking their customers one by one away from them. However, the reality thus being that local coffee shop owners had an increase in their business because Starbucks is essentially doing all of the marketing for them, and if a Starbucks customer arrives and decides they do not want to wait in line or maybe they’d rather not buy a $4 coffee, then they go next door to mom and pop’s shop instead. Unlike the disappearing act that Wal-Mart has caused local businesses, Starbucks doesn’t offer lower prices or even that great of a variety, and in my opinion their greatest asset to a caffeine-loving customer is that they are everywhere.
I personally prefer coffee I make at home with beans purchased from a local store, but if I am out and about and need some coffee, I look for a Starbucks. If I happen to locate a local coffee shop near said Starbucks, I give my dollar to the local coffee shop every time, unless their coffee tastes bad (hint hint Uptowner).
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