Agatha Christie once wrote that “coffee in England always tastes like a chemistry experiment.” But Starbucks seems determined to prove Dame Agatha wrong.
The Wall Street Journal reports this morning that Starbucks is taking England by storm, “upsetting the tea cart in a country famous for its afternoon tea. London already has some 200 Starbucks outlets, surpassing New York City, which has 190. All told, there are 466 Starbucks in the United Kingdom, as well as many fast-growing local chains with such names as Caffe Nero and Coffee Republic. Meanwhile, U.K. tea sales have declined 12% in the past five years,” which the WSJ describes as a momentous and even cultural shift.
But tea manufacturers are fighting back, according to the Journal. “Now, for young Britons in particular, traditional black tea is no longer good enough, and tea makers are busy coming up with new blends -- Twinings offers an orange and lotus-flower one -- as well as new marketing aimed at winning back drinkers.”
The Wall Street Journal reports this morning that Starbucks is taking England by storm, “upsetting the tea cart in a country famous for its afternoon tea. London already has some 200 Starbucks outlets, surpassing New York City, which has 190. All told, there are 466 Starbucks in the United Kingdom, as well as many fast-growing local chains with such names as Caffe Nero and Coffee Republic. Meanwhile, U.K. tea sales have declined 12% in the past five years,” which the WSJ describes as a momentous and even cultural shift.
But tea manufacturers are fighting back, according to the Journal. “Now, for young Britons in particular, traditional black tea is no longer good enough, and tea makers are busy coming up with new blends -- Twinings offers an orange and lotus-flower one -- as well as new marketing aimed at winning back drinkers.”
- KC's View:
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Yesterday, it was stories about Starbucks going into rural Alabama. Now, it is London.
Testimony to the power of a brand.
We actually had a great email yesterday from MNB user Chris Edmondson that we thought put it extremely well:
When Wal-Mart says it’s coming to your town, protest movements spring forth. When Starbucks says it’s coming to your town, people swell with pride and say “we’ve arrived.”
Starbucks is not a city mouse/country mouse brand. Folks will simply use its universal appeal a bit differently. On 5th Avenue you’ll find people in Starbucks wearing Carhartt work pants (as fashion), swearing about the mayor (for his position on same-sex marriage), downloading music on iPods, and telling stories about the weekend hunting (for bargains).
In Alabama and all over rural America you’ll find people in Starbucks wearing Carhartt work pants (for work), swearing about the mayor (for his position on same-sex marriage), downloading music on iPods, and telling stories about the weekend hunting (for bargains, and maybe deer). Powerful brands appeal to our core emotional needs. Starbucks has got it right.
God Bless America!
Or, in the case, the Queen.
