The international development of Starbucks (2004)

Résumé du document

The Starbucks Coffee Company owns today more than 6,000 retail locations in 37 countries: It is situated in all the continents: North America, Latin America, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim, that is to say "wherever there is a demand for good coffee". The first foreign coffeehouse opened in 1996 in Tokyo, where Starbucks is today a real myth. There is even a Japanese community on the Internet which is called "Starbucks love union". To implement this international development, Starbucks has a articulated structure: First, the Starbucks Coffee Company is the "leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world". Starbucks Coffee International is a wholly owned subsidiary of Starbucks Coffee Company. In each country, it has made partnerships with local retailers. For example, in France, the coffeehouses are run by Starbucks France SAS, which is a joint venture of Starbucks Coffee International and Crupo Vips (since September 2003). Crupo Vips is a reference in the restaurant and retail sector.

Extraits

[...] These products are specific of Starbucks, which has not many competitors. - Going to Starbucks is the occasion to discover very exotic coffees or new flavour drinks, but also non regular cakes (scones, cheesecakes). These products can't be found everywhere. Starbucks has a pedagogical role, which is to learn to the customers to know and enjoy the several coffees of the world, according to their geographical origin. On the websites, the history of coffee is told, and each variety is described, in order to attract the customer to came and try them. [...]

[...] Any international traveller can recognize the front of a Starbucks Coffee and can often prefer to go in there because it is reassuring. He knows what he will drink or eat; this is a nice moment to relax. In terms on communication, this can also bring a significant reduction of costs. On the other side, this very strong presence can also be negative because it does not always fit to the cultural context. That is why there is today an anti-Starbucks movement. [...]

[...] That is why no resistance can stop the international rise of the brand. The expansion has apparently just begun: “Clearly there's a big world out there for Starbucks to expand THE SOURCES OF BRAND'S VALUE FOR THE CONSUMER A high brand's value for the consumer Starbucks has a marketing strategy that is perfect to enter the life of the customers. The idea is to offer them a new home, a place which is more peaceful and quiet that their own house (and of course more relaxing that their office, when they come for a lunch break for example). [...]

[...] The international approach of Starbucks is globa-local 1. The differences Starbucks has chosen to adapt some elements according to the countries: - In the coffeehouses, the choice is sensibly different. For example, in Britain, there are more muffin varieties than in France. The varieties of coffees, from all around the globe, are not the same in each country. The image on next page shows a variety of Starbucks drink which is specific to Japan. On the whole, the U.S. coffeehouses offer much more choice than in the other countries. [...]

[...] - Each visit to Starbucks is a memorable experience. People come with their friends, they share very nice moments with them, and they identify Starbucks to this nice feeling. - The trust in Starbucks products: Starbucks has been recognized as one the “Most Trusted Brands in 2003”. The quality of the products seems to be a key factor, which can explain the high prices. - Eventually, the image of Starbucks is very strong: the Starbucks logo is recognized by most, which also helps to retain customers that travel internationally. [...]