I know that piling on Starbucks has become somewhat of an art-form lately, but wanted to add my two cents worth. As I drove from a client site today, I craved coffee and had a few minutes to kill. I thought
Starbucks, but immediately thought, "
No, Panera's". I analyzed my thoughts and feelings. I like Starbucks coffee better, they have a greater selection, and service is good. It comes down simply to habits created by one factor, free internet access. When I have an hour or more free, but it is inconvenient to return to the office, I always find myself at Panera's. They welcome you simply buying a cup of coffee and going on-line. No one looks at you with laser-eyes; no problems. This has simply created the habit that Panera supersedes Starbucks.
I know that Starbucks made a crucial decision that they did not want people simply sitting and working. They wanted to create an atmosphere of the Italian coffee bar, with friends sharing cups of espresso and talking (and hopefully buying more coffee or leaving). Nevertheless, with this crucial decision, they now find themselves second on the list when I think of a quick place to go.
I wrote in an earlier post, early in the financial crisis (May 2008 to be exact) of the "Car Wash Factor". The premise being that the car wash at a local convenience store (Weigels) was a leading indicator of the financial health of the economy. Today, to my amazement given recent news on plant closings in our area, the car wash was six and seven cars deep while I passed by. I have to declare, based on my earlier surmise, that optimism is rebounding and that the economic recovery is underway. This may be more based on my own hopes for the future, but, like all predictions, time will tell. Welcome back to the American consumer.
