SavvySugar

10 Ways to Spend Smarter at Starbucks

SavvySugar — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:30:12 -0700

You don't have to eliminate your favorite things when spending less is your goal; you just need to spend smarter. Starbucks knows how much you're seeking value these days, and invited me to discover the ultimate insider's tips on how to enjoy your Starbucks experience for less. Deanna, the store manager of a local Starbucks, taught me several awesome tricks I never would have known about otherwise. Check out these ten tips that the stores' baristas swear by.

View Slideshow ›

Reality Check: Working at Starbucks, Just For the Health Care

SavvySugar — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:30:52 -0700

Health insurance has become an invaluable benefit - if an accident were to occur and you didn't have coverage, you could be paying off a mountain of medical debt for years to come. A Reuters article highlights just how important insurance is for Americans when considering employment opportunities, and profiles a mother of three in Texas who has taken a part-time job just for the medical benefits.

That's right, full-time real estate agent Lisa DeWaal spends the first four hours of her days serving coffee at a Starbucks before heading to her office. DeWaal sought out employment with Starbucks solely for the affordable health insurance the company offers. Private insurance plans are burdensome for most households, and health experts say they've met plenty of people like DeWaal who are motivated to take or stick with a job because of the health benefits.

DeWaal begins her daily Starbucks shifts at 5 a.m, but those early mornings are worth it. The 20-hours a week at serving coffee allows her to rest easier at night because, for $180 a month, her family is insured. She commented, "Health insurance is exactly the reason why I have taken the extra job. It's company health insurance, which is a lot better than a private plan. I would put these extra hours into real estate if I had affordable health insurance."

Starbucks Does Not Owe Its Baristas $105 Million - For Now

SavvySugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:00:42 -0700

More than a year after a California court ordered Starbucks to pay its baristas $105 million in back tips, the 4th District Court of Appeal has reversed the ruling. It all started when former barista Jou Chau filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of the 100,000 current and former baristas in the state of California, arguing that Starbucks was acting unlawfully by permitting shift supervisors to share tips.

The appeals court concluded that Starbucks supervisors should receive their fair share of tips because they "essentially perform the same job as baristas." The baristas are taking the issue to the top and plan to submit an appeal to the California Supreme Court. David Lowe, the baristas' lawyer, brought the argument full circle and said, "Up to this point, every court that has addressed this issue has found that an employer cannot pay supervisors from a tip pool. This is the first case that goes in a different direction."

When the initial ruling was announced last March, 62 percent of you agreed that Starbucks was disobeying the law and owed its baristas for the tips they shared with supervisors. For now, Starbucks has been declared the winner, but we'll have to wait and see what happens with the baristas' appeal.

Source

Will You Buy Starbucks's New Instant Coffee Packets?

SavvySugar — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 11:00:18 -0800

In what Starbucks CEO Howard Schulz calls a "transformational event in the history of the company," packages of the brand's instant coffee will be sold in some stores beginning next month. The line of instant brew will be called Starbucks Via and it will be marketed with the idea that customers will be able to have a cup of Starbucks for under $1 (a pack of three will cost $2.95, and a 12-pack will sell for $9.95).

The move coincides with release of the stereotypically pricey company's version of a value breakfast meal, and it appears Starbucks's momentum to change its image is going strong. Will you buy the new instant coffee, or do you think it's going to be another failed attempt at luring customers back into Starbucks's struggling stores?

Source

Do Starbucks' New Breakfast Pairings Really Offer Value?

SavvySugar — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 07:15:45 -0800

Starbucks didn't make us wait too long for the details of their new value-oriented offerings. In its "Hello to a New Day" campaign beginning on March 3, the struggling coffee chain will roll out its new "food and drink pairing program." Most of us are familiar with the concept from fast food value menus, but Starbucks marketers are steering clear of associating their company with the value menu verbiage. For $3.95, Starbucks will offer the following pairings.

Tall drip coffee and one of four hot sandwiches
Tall latte and a slice of cinnamon swirl coffee cake
Tall latte and a bowl of oatmeal

Starbucks' marketing chief Terry Davenport commented, "The most important definition of value is the one our customers have. In this environment, it's about everyday affordability." Do you think the new pairings offer true value?

Source

Losing Job Was Blessing in Disguise For Starbucks Author

SavvySugar — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:30:48 -0800

When it rains, it pours. After being laid off from his long career as a successful advertising executive (and the six-figure salary), Michael Gates Gill tried to make a living by starting his own consulting business. Within a few years, he was forced to close his business, got divorced, and was diagnosed with a brain tumor. How's that for a storm?

Some people might have shut themselves away from the world. But not Michael. Five years ago, he ventured out to Starbucks on his routine coffee trip, and it happened to be the day Starbucks was holding a hiring fair. When the manager asked Michael if he would like to apply for a job, he went for it without hesitation.

While Michael spends his days as any other barista, steaming milk and sweeping up, he's also found success as an author. He wrote a best-selling memoir titled, How Starbucks Saved My Life, and Tom Hanks plans to produce and star in the film version of the book. Michael cheerfully told CNN, "When I lost my job I thought my life was over. I didn't realize it was just the beginning. I may have a part-time job, but I have a full-time life."

Source

Starbucks Plans to Make Over Its Unaffordable Image

SavvySugar — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 07:15:12 -0800

It doesn't take a CEO to come up with smart business ideas. When I asked you if you thought Starbucks would survive the recession, many of you responded that the struggling coffee company might make it through the storm if it introduced lower prices. While the company ended 2008 by announcing a new line of tea lattes, it's already realized that surviving 2009 might take an image overhaul - and that means introducing more value-oriented products. Take a moment to pat yourselves on the back for calling that one, and read on.

First, Starbucks plans to close another 300 stores and shed about 6,000 retail and 700 nonstore jobs. Those moves should add up to significant savings for the company, and their next steps will aim to save the customer money. CEO Howard Schulz is being pretty secretive about what Starbucks has up its sleeve, but commented his company plans to start "pushing back on misconceptions about our affordability." The only hint for what is to come: In March, Starbucks will aim to offer "real value" through new "breakfast pairings at attractive price points."

Source

Will Starbucks Survive the Recession?

SavvySugar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 04:30:36 -0800

Starbucks has never been in so much trouble, financially speaking. The company's same-store sales continue to worsen as consumers visit the chain less frequently, and CEO Howard Schulz admitted, "We're beating ourselves up every day because we've just never seen numbers like this." He predicts that 2009 will be an even bigger challenge than the second half of this year but thinks the company will get by until the economy begins to improve.

It seems Starbucks strategy won't change much from its previous moves to make a comeback. Before, it was the introduction of a customer loyalty card and new lines of smoothies and healthier food items. This time, Starbucks is reacting to its worrisome finances with plans to start selling its Seattle's Best Coffee brand at nearly 2,000 Subway locations, launch new tea lattes, and will use only one recipe for banana bread instead of 11.

Do you think Starbucks will be able to make it through the recession?

Source

Guess How Much Water Starbucks Wastes Every Day

SavvySugar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:30:42 -0700

Starbucks' water practices became the target of a recent investigation led by British newspaper The Sun, and if accurate, the findings are disturbing to conservationists. The investigation was prompted when a UK couple alerted a Starbucks employee to a running faucet, and the employee acknowledged its company policy to keep water running throughout the day to prevent germ buildup in the taps. Imagine what the water bills must be like! On top of the rising price of commodities, it's no wonder the drink menu is expensive.

Starbucks defended its policy to ABC News in a statement saying, "Starbucks' challenge is to balance water conservation with the need for consumer safety." Can you guess how much water The Sun estimates that Starbucks wastes every day by leaving the water on?

Source

Take the quiz

McDonald's Ad Tries to Put Down Starbucks: Hit or Miss?

SavvySugar — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 11:00:34 -0700

In one of its not-so-subtle new commercials, McDonald's uses a conversation between two women to attack the stereotypical Starbucks culture. Does the commercial succeed in making you want to try McDonald's coffee, or does its snotty portrayal of Starbucks rub you the wrong way?