2008 Woodie Awards
Starbucks to close some U.S. locations
Jennifer Wilhite
Issue date: 2/20/08 Section: College News
Starbucks announced in late January that it will be closing many of its stores in the U.S. and discontinue selling breakfast sandwiches in an effort to turn around lagging sales. The move comes after reports of recent weak earnings for the company, and what many have described as stagnant growth.
Stores in the U.S., which have performed poorly over the past year, will be selected for closure. The sluggish U.S. economy is partially to blame for the recent decision and reorganization plan.
Hefty competitions from fast-food chains, such as McDonalds, who have jumped on the coffee bandwagon, add to the already straining economic troubles of Starbucks. However, while stores here will be closing down, Starbucks plans to open new stores overseas.
Eliminating the sale of breakfast sandwiches is a move to try and reverse the trend of lagging sales and return customer focus to that which made the Starbucks name-coffee.
So how will potential closings involving local Starbucks locations affect those who have made the trademark coffee a staple of their routines and lifestyles? It isn't difficult to look too far and not see either a Starbucks store or someone carrying a coffee cup with the memorable trademark staring back.
The potential closings have students talking; not all of it good. Surprisingly, not too many seem to care. It is unknown at this point whether Indianapolis stores will be affected.
IUPUI student Ashley Meiss has made Starbucks a part of her daily routine for several years now. "It doesn't surprise me," Meiss said. "They should have thought about that [their approach] before they put one on every corner. They should have made it more of a destination place where people go to sit for a while, instead of having drive-thru windows like a fast food restaurant."
Other students around campus do not think that the closing of a few stores is going to make much of a difference. IUPUI student Jessy Lintz believes that it is a bit odd that people would make a big deal about a few closings.
"It's just coffee," Lintz said. "There are other places to go get coffee that are cheaper and just as good. I don't see the big deal in going to Starbucks anyway."
Stores in the U.S., which have performed poorly over the past year, will be selected for closure. The sluggish U.S. economy is partially to blame for the recent decision and reorganization plan.
Hefty competitions from fast-food chains, such as McDonalds, who have jumped on the coffee bandwagon, add to the already straining economic troubles of Starbucks. However, while stores here will be closing down, Starbucks plans to open new stores overseas.
Eliminating the sale of breakfast sandwiches is a move to try and reverse the trend of lagging sales and return customer focus to that which made the Starbucks name-coffee.
So how will potential closings involving local Starbucks locations affect those who have made the trademark coffee a staple of their routines and lifestyles? It isn't difficult to look too far and not see either a Starbucks store or someone carrying a coffee cup with the memorable trademark staring back.
The potential closings have students talking; not all of it good. Surprisingly, not too many seem to care. It is unknown at this point whether Indianapolis stores will be affected.
IUPUI student Ashley Meiss has made Starbucks a part of her daily routine for several years now. "It doesn't surprise me," Meiss said. "They should have thought about that [their approach] before they put one on every corner. They should have made it more of a destination place where people go to sit for a while, instead of having drive-thru windows like a fast food restaurant."
Other students around campus do not think that the closing of a few stores is going to make much of a difference. IUPUI student Jessy Lintz believes that it is a bit odd that people would make a big deal about a few closings.
"It's just coffee," Lintz said. "There are other places to go get coffee that are cheaper and just as good. I don't see the big deal in going to Starbucks anyway."
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