Starbucks Coffee manages customer traffic in a unique way at ‘Third Place’ – Part 2

It is not a new concept though. There have been many places in the past that have been a man’s third place, a coffee shop, a bar, a billiard club or a deli for that matter. What Starbucks did was dwell on the deficiency of a centralized and systematic organization of such third places.

Free WiFi and music are some of the amenities that the company provides to facilitate its customers. Breakfast and snacks are some of the delicacies that denizens of these shops can avail while passing and sharing time with their friends.

Ray Oldenburg, PhD, calls that a third place has to have some basic attributes. It has to be inviting, comfortable and approachable. Moreover, it has to offer good services and must have some good regular edible items, which is the most luring than anything else. That Starbucks has alright.

What Starbucks could not estimate at the time this idea spawned was its success rate. Now the foot traffic for the company is hard to manage.

The newest strategy that the company is following is however, exactly 180 degrees parallel to the Third Place concept. The company has replaced the comfy and cushioned sofas with tiny chairs. The low and dimming light that was soothing has been lightened up to bright and incandescent lights that you can spit hair under it. The music has been upped a notch or two to make all things noisy.

For a regular customer with a keen observation this is not at all comfortable, and many have noticed the change. In both layman and expert opinion, Starbucks is trying to reduce the time one customer spends at the place to manage the traffic.

For the masses, this might be a subtle strategy that will go complete beneath the radar. However, in the eye of regular customers and experts this is not a very promising step taken by the company.

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Posted by Usman Khalid on May 30 2012. Filed under Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.