Premium coffee giant Starbucks reportedly will announce plans Tuesday for an instant coffee called Via, which could start appearing in Starbucks stores as early as next month. The company has not escaped the effects of the bad economy, planning to close 300 stores in addition to the 600 closed last summer. The cheaper alternative is said to closely mimic the taste of the Starbucks coffee we’ve all come to know.
But will it water down the brand? Will consumers accustomed to considering Starbucks a luxury brand stick with it when democratic instant brew — its technical term is “soluble coffee” — joins the line? One expert tells NPR, in an All Things Considered segment available on line, that aiming high and low has worked for other companies, notably in the fashion world.
Not everyone’s cheering; the first comment on the Starbucks Gossip page is: I want to cry now.
Related post: A Verdict on Starbucks Via
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It’s either a bold decision or one born of desperation, I think the latter, but I only ever drink instant [by the gallon] and real cheapses too, I just like cheap and nasty coffee
The Totton Linnet’s last blog post..Skateboard scally
Dove, how good to see you, incognito and all
. It might well be the latter, although the company claims this big breakthrough in taste has been in development for 20 years. I wish some company would use even half that time to come up a decaf that tastes like the real thing. I’d be their most devoted customer.
We’ll forgive all the coffee in Britain cos nobody does tea better. Tea, scones and clotted cream: the perfect pick-me-up!
Via is also the name of Canada’s national passenger railway system. I like to call it Vile Rail, and I bet that’s how that coffee will taste.
You’re probably right. Their regular brew always tastes scorched to me, so I’m skeptical about this. I’ll stick to Frappuccinos in high summer.