Marketing Analysis : Starbucks Inc.

Starbucks Corporation, generally known, as Starbucks Coffee is the leading retailer and a brand of world’s forte coffee in the world, with more than 15,000 retail locations in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim, wherever in this world where premium quality coffee is in demand. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world ahead of UK rival Costa Coffee, with 20737 stores in 63 countries and territories, including 11910 in the United States, 1496 in China, 1442 in Canada, 1052 in Japan and 772 in the United Kingdom. The first Starbucks was open in 1970. The name was inspired from Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, a definitive American novel regarding the 19th century whaling industry. The nautical name matches seamlessly for a store that imports the world’s finest coffees to the cold thirsty people of Seattle. In May 1998, Starbucks have finally successfully entered the European market through its acquirement of 65 Coffee Company stores initially originated from Seattle in the UK. Both companies shared a common culture, focusing on a great commitment to customized coffee, similar company values and a mutual respect.

Starbucks is no doubt a phenomenon in the United States, but the brand wants to expand globally. Opening chains in various global locations such as Japan, Vienna, England; Starbucks wants to reach out to the coffee loving fans everywhere. Nevertheless opening chains globally is not that simple. There are many uncontrollable factors Starbucks need to focus on to make sure they are making profit as well has abiding by the country’s laws and regulations. Going global takes a lot of market research to make sure that the brand will be successful even with uncontrollable factors. Controllable factors can be tailored to fit the needs of each country. Starbucks has to find the happy medium so they don’t lose their identity overseas.

As a non-coffee drinker it is mind boggling how much revenue is earned from coffee sales. In 1971 the first Starbucks started opened in Seattle. Today a total of 22,519 stores are open in different parts of the world. The following pages will look at Starbucks Company through an economic lens. It will focus, in the years of 2008 through 2013. This time period starts with the economic crises of 2008 and helped shaped the company into its current state.

In 1971 Starbucks started as a small coffee shop that specialized in selling whole arabica beans in Seattle’s Pike Place market. After being inspired by Milan’s coffee culture - especially the role it espresso bars played in the Italians’ everyday social lives - Starbucks opened an espresso bar in the corner of their shop. Their ideal was to create a ‘third place’ - besides home and work - where people could relax and enjoy a good cup of coffee (Moon & Quelch, 2006). Over two decades the company enlarged and served over 20 million unique customers in over 5,000 stores around the world. Their brand strategy could best be described as ‘live coffee’, which meant creating an ‘experience’ around the consumption of coffee that fitted into people 's everyday lives (Moon & Quelch, 2006). Three components were fundamental for their branding strategy. First of all, the coffee itself which should represent the highest-quality coffee in the world, derived from Africa, Central and South America, and the Asia-Pacific regions (Moon & Quelch, 2006). Secondly, the atmosphere should be inviting and make customers feel comfortable. The ambiance in stores should make customers want to stay (Moon & Quelch, 2006). Thirdly, service - customer intimacy - is a key factor within their brand strategy, which aims to create an experience for the customers, and aims at building customer loyalty (Moon & Quelch, 2006). The employees - called ‘partners’ - are

Starbucks’ lead in the specialty coffee industry exemplifies the result of deftly executing a well-planned business strategy. Moreover, Starbucks is well positioned for what is expected to be a continuing rise in the popularity of specialty coffee products. The question before Starbucks’ leadership, however, is what avenues will lead to Starbucks’ goal of remaining true to its core, the highest quality coffee products while providing a “total coffee experience” for its customers?

Major coffee house chain Starbucks Corporation was founded 1971 in Seattle Washington. Since then the CEO Howard Shultz has successfully made the company to multibillion dollar corporate, and one of world’s most known brand. Starbucks Corporation went public in 1992 and grew rapidly throughout international market. The company had Solid growth, and by 2006 it had 12,440 stores, with net revenue of $7.8 Billion and net earnings of $564million. Since the year 2000, the company has been opening around 1000 new store each year, and 85% of store were owned by them, instead of franchising. The Starbucks Corporation is known for their great employee benefits. They offer benefits such as healthcare coverage for any employee including the part

Starbucks was initially opened at 2000 Western Avenue, Seattle, Washington on 30th March 1971 (Wach, 2011). Starbucks continued to stay located here until 1976, it was then moved to 1912 Pike Place Market (Brewer, Brissenden and Carmin, 2003). Starbucks was a product of the merger of Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegel and Gordon Bowker (Pendergrast, 1999). Starbucks originally started off to sell whole roasted coffee beans to the public, initially no brewed coffee was sold it was used as samples for the buyers (Dono Reeves, 1992). Howard Schultz the Chairman and CEO of Starbucks experienced Starbucks in 1981 with his first cup of Sumatra and joined the company a year later. Howard then traveled to Italy in 1983 and was completely mesmerized by the Italian coffee bars, he then brought the coffeehouse vision back with him (Starbucks Coffee Company, 2014). In 1998 Starbucks entered the European market (Starbucks Coffee Company, 2014), Starbucks paid a whopping $83 million to start the chain in Britain with 56 coffee shops (McDonald's Corp., 1999). Starbucks

In all companies, there are many strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Starbucks is one of the world’s leading coffeehouse chain. The beginning of Starbucks was in 1971, the first store ever to open in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Thanks to Howard Schultz the founder of Starbucks the beginning was far from the end. Schultz was bright and new that Starbucks would have a future. In 1987, seventeen stores open in Chicago and Vancouver. 1988, thirty-three stores were open, Starbucks committed to giving their employees full/part time jobs with full health benefits. In 1991, Starbucks first store in an airport, having 116 stores open at the time. 1994, 425 stores opened, first drive-thru was established. In 1995, they began selling the world’s most popular and favorite drink the Frappuccino, with 677 stores opened. 1996, the first store opened outside of North America in Japan and Singapore, having 1,015 stores. In 1998, Starbucks partnership with Magic Johnson, opened stores in underserved neighborhoods, with 1,886 stores. In 2002, the best thing any store can have is Wi-Fi, Starbucks launches free Wi-Fi in stores, over 5,800 stores. In 2006, Starbucks launches the industry’s first paper beverage cup containing post-consumer recycled fiber, with 12,440 stores opened. In 2008, Starbucks adopted a new mission statement, “To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.” With 16,680 stores open. In 2011, launch first annual

Anyone can enter the coffee industry by just selling coffee, anytime, anywhere. Thus, entry into the coffee industry has low barriers causing a downward sloping demand curve. However, it is Starbucks branding image that has differentiated themselves from other café competitors with their aesthetic appeal and concepts of its stores. Stores are visually appealing and have a ‘cool’ factor about them. Additionally, they provide free wife, great music and great customer service, which draws a warm environment or community to engage in the “Starbucks Experience” (Geereddy, 2015).

In the restaurant industry, a restaurant prepares and serves food, drink and dessert to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearance and offerings, including a wide variety of the main chef 's cuisines and service models. While inns and taverns were known from antiquity, these were establishments aimed at travellers, and in general locals would rarely eat there. Modern restaurants, as businesses dedicated to the serving of food, and where specific dishes are ordered by the guest and generally prepared according to this order. A restaurant owner is called a restaurateur; both words derive from the French verb restaurer, meaning "to restore". Professional artisans of cooking are called chefs, while preparation staff and line cooks prepare food items in a more systematic and less artistic fashion.

One of the most vital roles of business leaders today is the ability to conduct a comprehensive and honest analysis of the business. Such analysis can be conducted for strategic and business planning purposes or simply to determine if a company is a good investment opportunity. To demonstrate the importance of business analysis from both a business leader’s strategic point of view and from a business investor’s point view, this paper will provide the following study of Starbucks Coffee Company: (1) SWOT Analysis; (2) Relevance of Threats; (3) Internal and External Stakeholders; and (4) Balancing the stakeholders’ needs.

1.Analyze the business-level strategies for the corporation you chose to determine the business-level strategy you think is most important to the long-term success of the firm and whether or not you judge this to be a good choice. Justify your opinion.

Starbucks Corporation, originally founded in 1971, but purchased by Howard Schultz in 1987, is the market leader in selling gourmet coffee (Starbucks, 2008). Starbuck's main objective is to establish itself as the most respected and recognized coffee brand in the world (Fact Sheet, 2008). Starbucks has accomplished this objective and experienced much success through their competitive strategy of clustering several stores within the same community and through their distinctive competencies of roasting and selling the quality coffee while providing high quality customer service. The question is, can Starbucks continue their market share growth with rising competitors? Should they focus more on their international operations?

Headquartered in Seattle Washington, Starbucks Corporation is a premium coffee retailer offering a wide selection of hot and cold beverages, pastries and light deli fare, coffee accessories and equipment. Starbucks opened its first location in 1971 at Seattle's Pike Place Market and within 20 years held its initial public offering and now has over 8500 retail locations in 32 countries. "Each store varies its product mix depending upon the size of the store and its location. Larger stores carry a broad selection…smaller stores…a

How responsive is your company to difference among nations? Does it vary its products and marketing message from country to country? Should it?