Bartender, pour me another cafe mocha

By Linda VandeVrede on July 23rd, 2009 In Marketing

I hope it isn’t true.  But it seems it is.   Starbucks, my quiet place of “tweenland,” between home and office, plans to extend its beverage list to include beer and wine.  They are starting with a handful of stores in Seattle, and if the concept takes root, they’ll expand to other cities.   No doubt in addition to wanting to attract a new type of customer, they recognize the high margins in alcohol sales as well.

I go to Starbucks for mellow music, quiet morning coffee people, the soft hums of PCs and the rustle of the (unfortunately) fast-disappearing newspapers.  If I wanted a Blue Martini atmosphere (which is actually a lot of fun, but I was there at 6 p.m., not 6 a.m.), I’d go there.

Then take Amazon.   They are extending their brand with the acquisition of Zappos, the online shoestore.  Now THERE’S a brand extension I can buy into.   A one-stop place for books, CDs, shoes, and great customer service to boot (pun intended).  

Can brand extension work if it drives away your loyal customers? 

Bartender, pour me another cafe mocha

Comments

Pat Elliott Says:
July 23rd, 2009 at 9:23 am

Paradise Bakery is a great alternative to Starbucks.

Beth Says:
July 23rd, 2009 at 12:50 pm

I just can’t even see this taking root. I think they’ll have a difficult time positioning it as a place to drink alcohol. If it does take hold, I think they will drive away certain valuable segments of their market.

Sara Korolevich Says:
July 25th, 2009 at 11:34 am

But wouldn’t your same morning coffee people still be there in the morning? I mean, who drinks beer and wine at 7 or 8 am? (Well, at least those who DO wouldn’t be purchasing it at Starbucks!) I agree, it seems like a strange marketing strategy, but the coffee house is losing customers like everyone else and is trying to expand their market.
I think the customers who are visiting Starbuck’s for alcohol would be going there during happy hour times, not during the morning and daytime hours, which should leave you sipping your mocha in peace!

Lynn Behlendof Says:
July 26th, 2009 at 6:29 pm

As an older single person, I found it refreshing when Starbucks and other coffee shops starting popping up in my hometown (Milwaukee, WI) because I felt there were a great social alternative to bars. Like Linda, I like a good martini or glass of red wine every now and then, but there are times when I prefer the more subdued social atmosphere of a Starbucks. It will be interesting to see where this goes for Starbucks, who I think has done a great job of marketing to this point.

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