Starbucks market cap has tumbled by about 50% over the last year. Their chairman came back to take up the CEO position in an attempt to reverse the trend. I am surprised that they cannot figure out the reasons for the lack of sales. Their prices have been steadily going up over the last few years. It costs five bucks now to get a good coffee there! And you have to explicitly ask for no-foam coffee to get a decent volume of Latte. If not, you get half cup of Latte topped with half cup of foam! Call me a penny-pincher, but I hate to pay for foam!
Having said that, I have always loved their coffee. They just worked themselves into a brand image where they come across as unaffordable for the majority of masses. On the other hand, Dunkin' Donuts has been growing steadily and is expanding beyond its northeast stronghold. Dunkin' coffee is decent enough and the prices are much lower than those of Starbucks. I guess I have grown to like the Dunkin' flavor over the last couple of years. Or, maybe I am just getting used to the life in New England!
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