Starbucks Image Makeover

The company will shell out millions to correct what it calls a “basic” image problem.

September 14, 2016

SEATTLE – Starbucks, the chain that started a coffee revolution by charging high prices for high quality brew, has an image problem, Business Insider reports. The brand’s reputation as a high-end coffee shop has lost its luster. For more than 40 years, Starbucks has grown from a single shop to more than 24,000 locations worldwide. Along the way, chains from Dunkin’ Donuts to McDonald’s have siphoned away customers by serving competing high-quality coffee beverages.

To combat its “basic” label, Starbucks has begun investing millions of dollars into rebuilding the brand, such as opening Roasteries and adding new menu items. The company has called its 15,000-square-foot Roastery a glimpse of its future. The super-premium store serves drinks like the Nitro Cold Brew Float for $10.

Starbucks also will open around 500 Reserve locations, which will sell premium Roastery drinks and artisanal Princi food, plus an additional 1,500 Reserve bars, which will offer a wider variety of drinks. “This is our response to the challenges that sometimes come with ubiquity and sometimes come with people saying, because I see a lot of Starbucks around the world, maybe the coffee is not quite the same level,” said CEO Howard Schulz. “Our coffee is every bit as good as it was when we had five stores many, many years ago.”

The chain is also marketing a more craft-inspired line of coffee beverages. The “Cold Bar” includes Nitro Cold Brew, while seasonal beverages and drinks are being crafted to keep regulars coming back.

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