The Reason One Starbucks Can’t Ask Your Name

Even for a huge multinational like Starbucks, competing globally requires knowledgeable monopolistic competition and knowing local tastes and habits.

Do You Prefer McDonald's or Starbucks?

Shaped by monopolistic competition, the behavior of McDonald’s and Starbucks attracts different groups of consumers.

How Can Coffee Consumption Be an Economic Indicator?

If you live in northeast Montana, the nearest Starbucks might be 192 miles from home while you could choose among 62 Starbucks between 42nd and 59th Street in Manhattan. Beyond the US, Italy has no Starbucks, Canada has 1396 and China, 1219. And, except for Morocco and Egypt, Starbucks has…

Starbucks Drive-Through Economics

My new Starbucks has a drive-through. If you look at a high shelf near the window through which the baristas hand the coffee and food to drivers, you see a screen with little cars and numbers. Changing from green to yellow…

The Benefits of “Pay-It-Forward”

Perhaps a pay-it-forward record, at a Connecticut Starbucks, more than 1,000 people each paid for the person behind them during December 2013. The store manager was on to something when he said, “”We hope that it will continue on, even…

(Not So) Dumb Starbucks

At New York’s 2nd Ave Deli, you can order the Instant Heart Attack and/or the Triple Bypass Sandwich. Listed on the menu like this (below), the sandwiches are trademarked. When the 2nd Ave. Deli trademarked its heart attack sandwiches, they consulted…

Does Your Barista Do a Repeatable Routine?

Starbucks calls it “transactions per hour” but from our perspective, it’s waiting in line. Researchers say that it takes only 3 minutes in a queue for us to become impatient. Hoping to show their shorter line time and higher sales,…

Coupon Economics

When Starbucks raised its prices during the beginning of 2010, it lowered the price of a tall regular to $1.70. But, if you wanted a splash of foam, a shot of espresso, or a touch of flavor, the addition could…