The cost of closing the ‘bux

March 3, 2008

By closing for three hours last week, Starbucks reportedly lost out on $2-$4 million in sales. There’s been a range of reactions to the event, which Advertising Age calls “part boot camp for baristas and part mass marketing for a company that wants to demonstrate that its improving product and customer experience.”

  • Some felt the coffee chain turned away customers who have plenty of other ways to get the goods. Dunkin’ Donuts stepped up to offer a range of drinks for 99 cents during the promotion, and it paid off: a marketing exec said franchisees experienced increased store traffic and sales.
  • Some argued that the closing, which drew plenty of media attention, alienated customers who didn’t anticipate being turned away - such as this InformationWeek columnist (”What, no email?”) or the customers in the Sacramento newscast below.
  • And still another said that Starbucks “pointed out that its baristas didn’t understand how to work the automated machines … Starbucks actually raised the awareness of a new problem. Check the past coverage of Starbucks’ recent woes, and you’ll see little criticism of the actual quality of the coffee.”

I’m unsure if the Powers That Be at Starbucks made the right call with the shutdown, but I know this: It’s lame to tell your customers to roast a turkey while they’re waiting for a revamped espresso.

JACKIE SAUTER, Web Editor

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Posted by Jackie Sauter | Filed Under advertising, business, marketing, public relations 

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