Starbucks Revelation

http://thenextweb.com/2010/01/11/starbucks-formula-social-media-success/

When you live in New York City, Starbucks pop up everywhere. Depending on what neighborhood you're standing in. This particular coffee house tends to locate itself inside Targets as well. This may not be true for all over the country, but in NY the pair go together like peanut butter and jelly.

http://inhabitat.com/inhabitat-interview-8-questions-with-starbucks-global-responsibility-vp-ben-packard/

It's quite odd. The lower middle class is subject to this rather high priced coffee shop. I suppose this is good marketing- you have no local Starbucks because you're neighbors can't afford it but when those same neighbors go to Target they suddenly have the money for it.

Low and behold I found a little secret out about the Starbucks-Target matrimony. The coffee you purchase while shopping is cheaper than the the java you purchase while sitting in the cafe playing Facebook games on your laptop.

http://www.fastcompany.com/multisite_files/fastcompany/imagecache/mic2012_poster/mic2012/141-poster-starbucks-most-innovative-company-2012.png

Yesterday, while trying to complete my Starbucks Card 10 Star Dash I got a Target coffee while waiting for a prescription. I ordered a  tall blonde roast for my first time. Lately I've been drinking the grande Vanilla Blonde Roast. This particular beverage costs about $2.80 at my local Starbucks. Last week this same local Starbucks ran out of the Blonde and didn't get a restock for a coupe of days. On another note it bewilders me how a coffee house can run out of a certain type of drink. Two days in a row I ordered the tall Pike coffee. This beverage could cost me anywhere from $1.91 to a little over two dollars. I guess it depends whether or not the barista charged me tax.

http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/thefw.com/files/2012/04/Starbucks-Secret-Menu2.jpg

My Target tall Blonde Roast cost me $1.65, when you add in the tax my total was $1.80, the cheapest I've ever paid for a Starbucks coffee. When I went to the regular Starbucks a few hours later I checked out the price board. Here, a tall coffee costs $1.75 before tax, $.10 more expensive. I decided to get an iced coffee since I was a little sweaty from walking.                                         

                                              

My best guess for the price difference is to make the coffee more appealing to the members of society that frequently shop at Target. It's a step above Wal-Mart and the .99 cent store but it still isn't no Bloomingdale's or Macy's.

My second guess is because the coffee isn't as strong or tasteful. The Target Starbucks' is regular Starbucks' ugly cousin who got all the hand me downs.

Stabucks Coffee shops that are present in
Targets must all have the same design.

I've seen both the picture below this
one and this exact setup featured
in both Targets that I go to frequently. 

Today I had to go to Starbucks in order to get my 10th star for the Dash I mentioned earlier. I was going to try a regular Starbucks' tall Blonde roast in order to see if taste or strength of the coffee was stronger than the cup I had the day before. They must have known I was coming to out them. My local Starbucks was closed because of plumbing issues. I walked to the Target so I could get my last star. 

It makes me wonder though what other prices are different. I never pay attention to the price of an Iced Caramel Macchiato, I always use my free drink reward to order a really big one. The next time I walk into the regular Starbucks I know what price difference I'm looking for.