Less Is More Starbucks

Sometimes less is more. This cliché is often used in common speech to indicate that focusing on doing fewer things, but doing them well is a superior option than attempting to do more and lessening the appearance of quality. In this case study, we are presented with a company built around selling coffee that expanded their product offerings, and watched their sales fall as a result. The key for Starbucks to regain their lost market share is returning to their roots by providing a superior coffee drinking experience and not focusing on trying to expand into the breakfast food market. In addition, Starbucks should implement a rigorous evaluation of their workforce requirements, policies, and metrics to evaluate these key human resources. …show more content…
This by itself is no cause for concern. Studies have shown that expectation influences perception of quality. For instance, if two identical wines are offered to customers, but one is labeled as costing 90 dollars per bottle and the other 10 dollars, consumers will swear that the wine with the more expensive label tastes better (Mlodinow, 2012). Taking this into account, Starbucks can sell identical coffee products at higher prices so long as the customers believe they are receiving a higher quality product. This perception of quality comes from the brand association, and the brand association comes in part from the baristas employed by …show more content…
The case study indicates that the present food offerings at Starbucks take employee time away from coffee preparation. This distraction takes away from the employee/customer experience. Rather than being able to chat with the barista as they expertly prepare the coffee, the employees were taking more time handling the food. Removing food prep from the list of duties that Starbucks employees perform is the first step in helping redefine the workforce