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Starbucks in a Land of Coffee Snobs | BTalk Australia

August 5th, 2008 @ 1:00 pm

4 Comments

Categories: BTalk Australia, Podcasts

Tags: Starbucks Corp., Podcasts, Nick Wailes, Phil Dobbie

(14min 49) Click on “Play” to hear the podcast or click “Get It” to download.

Starbucks is closing coffee shops in the US and, this last week, closed 61 of its 84 shops in Australia. So what went wrong?

Today on BTalk Australia Phil Dobbie talks to Nick Wailes, an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Sydney about the reason for the demise of Starbucks in this market.

Add your thoughts and comments by clicking “Participate” at the bottom of this post.

See also:
Starbucks Swings to Loss on Closures
Starbucks to Close 61 Australian Stores

Phil Dobbie is a broadcaster and businessman with more than 15 years commercial experience across the telecommunications, Internet, tourism, advertising and radio industries. He has held senior marketing and management roles in OzEmail, Telstra and the British Tourist Authority and has been involved in a number of Internet start-ups.
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  •  
    faciliti08/05/08 Report as spam
    1

    RE: Starbucks in a Land of Coffee Snobs | BTalk Australia

    Perhaps (I thought), it was just that I was not a coffee snob. Try as I might to like it, the Starbuck's coffee flavor was just not my "cup of tea". The aroma was heady, but the taste was bitter and burned -- I felt. So, there I was in San Jose (in the San Francisco Bay Area), politely keeping my opinions on the flavor of Seattle's Totem, to myself.
    As an architectural designer, I was taken by the modernity of the Starbucks image and their slick products. But the coffee? No.
    Give me the no-name, unchained, corner coffee shops any time.

    We are kin, you people of the Southern Cross, and I.

    -Raymond MacFarlane
    San Jose, California
    August 2008

  •  
    126194308/06/08 Report as spam
    2

    RE: Starbucks in a Land of Coffee Snobs | BTalk Australia

    I agree with you Ray. The coffee is bitter. Just got back from a visit to Vienna and the coffee there is far much better, smoother, and enjoyable. I didn't like the strength of the coffee at Starbucks, nor the size, come to think of it, the last time I sat in one of those joints it must've been some two years ago.

    Jim Barghouti / Dubai

  •  
    dancealot08/06/08 Report as spam
    3

    RE: Starbucks in a Land of Coffee Snobs | BTalk Australia

    They should support the troops and not snub them!

  •  
    Hairmonia BCN08/07/08 Report as spam
    4

    RE: Starbucks in a Land of Coffee Snobs | BTalk Australia

    I was always very surprised with its success. For me it was too much quantity of coffee (not that great) and expensive. As they say too much o a good thing is bad.
    The market is wise and the snobs when else where for the next thing. I hope that those who lost they're jobs find it in a cozy corner bar with good coffee.

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  • Phil Dobbie Phil Dobbie has a wealth of radio and business experience. He started his career in commercial radio in the UK and, since coming to Australia in 1991, has held senior marketing and management roles with Telstra, OzEmail, the British Tourist Authority and other telecommunications, media, travel and advertising businesses. In BTalk Australia he provides a lively and insightful view on business issues, adding his blend of irony and humour to the discussions. more »

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