Memo to Starbucks: You can't pretend it's the Christmas season on Veterans Day

Richard Roeper has a few things to say about Starbucks rushing the Christmas season for the purpose of making a few more bucks: "Obviously, I don't think Starbucks is the face of evil. I'm not one of those franchise-loathing individuals who believe that mooning a Starbucks franchise during a World Trade Organization conference is an act of brave rebellion. In fact, I pop into a Starbucks nearly every day of the year because I've been drinking coffee since I was 12, and Starbucks makes the best coffee I've ever had, in the United States or elsewhere. But talk about stretching, pulling, yanking and faking the definition of the holiday season in the interest of corporate profits." (Chicago Sun-Times)

Comments

[Stew]

Why does someone always have to use the media to express their damn opinions? Here we have a writer for the Chicago Sun Times trying to make Starbucks out to be bad. Though, he complains about the way they run their company timeline yet buys their products. Good Job, you just contradicted yourself. After looking into some previous new articles from Chicago Sun I found many talking about Christmas. MEMO: to Richard Roeper. Don’t bash a company when yours is pulling the same thing.

I could easily do what this writer just did, I should go to a starved media outlet and feed them some garbage about how the Chicago Sun Times is printed on paper and they therefore are killing the planet, though I’ll still buy the paper at my local news stand.

[adam]

Roeper obviously doesn't have a clue. Christmas was INVENTED to increase corporate profits! All companies use holidays, such as Christmas, to boost sales. What's more -- retail corporations are the very entities responsible for creating holiday popularity in the first place.

[dyn]

Is it not possible to be annoyed by the practices of a company and still by their product? Also aren't Opinion and Editorial writers hired to give their opinions?

[Jared]

Whoa, Stew! That's a pretty stark black-and-white world view you've got going there. It's possible to dislike something a company does without calling for a consumer jihad against them. And, as someone else pointed out, an opinion columnist fulfills a specific function in a newspaper, and it isn't general interest reporting.

[chris]

steve: why does a writer write about things he doesn't like? uhm, because it's his job. duh. aside from which, telling him to forget about the first amm rights because "his company does the same" (it's not his, he's just an employee there and doesn't decide over those things. do baristas get to decide on starbucks corporate policies? my point exactly) is a pretty lame argument at best.

I too couldn't help but notice the jingle bellsy music and xmas decoration when I walked into my local starbucks this morning, btw located in sunny and warm los angeles. I wanted to say something but the girl behind the counter gave me the "save it, I've already heard it a million times today" look.

in two days, I'll officially start hating xmas again.

oh yeah, and trees are a renewable energy source, you don't kill the planet quite as easily as you do driving your friggin hummer around the block.

[Ben]

I have a great location to open up a Starbucks in my town. What measures would I have to go through to open one up and actuall make this happen? I just need a starting point.

[Shift for Starbucks]

Ben: Starbucks aren't tradionally franchises, you can't just open one. Some places like Barnes and Noble and some travel plaza's have Starbucks that sell the product. You can go to a local Starbucks and ask the manager but I don't think you will have much luck

[Jazer]

News should be unbiased, even though it is not. Opinions should be extremely biased and always are. As for Christmas, it is commercialized. Already the Post Office has Christmas commercials on to let you know to get your packages sent early for ontime delivery. Lets see, what else... Yes, you could get Christmas stuff in July from an on-flight magazine (I can't remember which one it was). Corporations will always flock to where they can make money. The only way Starbucks or any corporation will stop marketing strategies is when the consumer doesn't purchase the items or shop at the store. Is anyone here willing to stop shopping at Starbucks because of Christmas music? Not even the Author was willing to stop. Therefore, Startbucks will continue, and rightly so, to make money off of their marketing strategy.

Enjoy IT All,

JAZER

[barista fly]

i'm okay with most of the christmas music but "the banana boat song", "the car goes beep beep" and "there was an old woman who swallowed a fly" just seem really f'in silly.

[Ian]

"Starbucks makes the best coffee I've ever had, in the United States or elsewhere"

As soon as I read that, I knew this guy was a moron. I'm in NYC, and like lots go to Starbucks sometimes and don't have a problem with it. But I have never, ever heard someone say Starbucks makes the best coffee ever. That's a huge stretch.

[Kathryn]

Yeah, well, what do you expect from someone who shares a seat in the balcony with Ebert, who'd never had any experience reviewing movies before he got the TV gig? Perhaps if you've been drinking coffee since you were 12, and much of it S'bux, you don't have any discriminating taste buds left.

Regarding the Xmas music et al, I have to agree that holiday hoopla in the second week of Nov is crass and personally a huge turn-off. Unfortunately it's not limited to S'bux, they just make it worse by piping in the music. I almost had a siezure in Target in mid-October when I went to buy Halloween stuff, only to find it being squeezed out by blinking light-up reindeer, Xmas cards and fake xmas trees. When the Peets in my neighborhood (a Sbux competitor and my choice when it comes to coffee chains) donned the holiday decor around the same time, I vowed not to patronize the store until after Thanksgiving. I'm sticking with my local shop instead (better coffee anyway) where Fall is Fall and not Noel.

[Rob]

Christmas is traditionally violated by companies this time of year in order to squeeze a few more pounds, dollars and euros out of we, the public. If you haven't figured that out by now, I can only assume that you don't live in a city.

[Rob]

People who go to S'bux as regularly as you guys do are odd. You are the odd people I don't even see when I walk by on my way to the bus. Why not buy a normal cup of coffee and give the $5 you'd save every day to a nice charity? And then you complain about XMas music?? Of course there is XMas music in the store in early November, the corporate execs figure if you're dumb enough to pay that much for a silly coffee, let alone learn another language so that you can just order one, you are dumb enough to think that it is XMas time! You should be complaining that your third grade teacher didn't instill enough common sense in you way back when!

Ah, I can see by the turn the comments have taken today that school is out.

[RICHARD BARTHELME]

My main "beef" about Starbucks is that they are definately discriminatory against hiring older people, as baristas. (which I beleive is a federal offense, isn't it?) Notice that the baristas must fall into the young, hip and progressive catagories. When is the last time you saw a barista past the age of say, forty? What's the matter, don't older empolyees fall into the motif' of the decor? And by the way comparing Starbucks to Dunkin Doughnuts, is as the like they say, like apples to oranges

"My main "beef" about Starbucks is that they are definately discriminatory against hiring older people, as baristas. (which I beleive is a federal offense, isn't it?)"

"Definite" implies this is a proven fact, so I assume you'll be bundling your hard evidence up and taking it to the Justice Department to initiate a complaint?

"When is the last time you saw a barista past the age of say, forty?"

Around 7:10AM today. But perhaps it's just a giant conspiracy to make Starbucks stores look good and progressive in their home market of Seattle. Yeah, that must be it!

[CoffeeBoy]

Again people who bitch without any facts to back up their claim...

As for older people... Starbucks encourages diversity. Period. It is not some company bullshit line; it is what Starbucks does.

On a percentage basis I would say I have seen about 10% or less of applicants whom are over age 40. Realize that since there is no age box on an application (against the law), I am basing this on those whom I have seen turn in an application or educated "guesses" based upon other facts like work history or year the person graduated.

Of those 10% of applicants I have personally interviewed over 60 to 75 % of them - compared to 25 to 30 percent of the total applicants.

Why? Experiance, personality, desire to work.
Age is not a factor, however generally speaking folks with more experiance and personality are a better fit for the job as barista.

If you think only young, hip people can work at Starbucks, you are wrong.

I have had many older baristas who work out very well and "fit" into the barista role well.

Perhaps you don't see a lot of older baristas because; A) A much smaller percentage apply
B) It's hard work (see also GW Bush - Presidency is hard work too)
C) I think older people shy away from Starbucks, because they didn't grow up with it... like they grew up with say McDonalds... People are attracted to jobs they understand or feel comfortable with...

[sailor]

Just for the record, Starbucks is not the only retail corporation pushing the holiday envelop. Have you ever walked into a grocery store following Halloween just to find the "seasonal" isle full of stocking hung with care and gift wrap and christmas candies? Give me a break its not just Starbucks, its everyone that wants to make a buck or two.

oh and as far as hard work, GW has the monopoly on that kind of job.

[Tamar]

I guess someone needs to chat to the CEO of the company and remind them that not everything is about profiting..

mind you I do love their coffee :) fine stuff

[STARBUCKS GOSSIP webmaster]

TARMAR: Ask Starbucks shareholders, and they'll tell you that everything IS about profits. And if the CEO doesn't feel that way, he's out of there. That's the reality of public companies.

[jon]

Starbucks will always get good and bad PR its the nature of the beast but i think there should be a way to combat it without it showing up in the papers and news every month.

take alanis morrisette.. that thing is blown way out of porpotion

[Marie]

i was wondering if anyone could tell me how young do they hire at starbucks?

[L]

Hey, the man said that "Starbucks is the best coffee he has ever had anywhere in the world." Why would you take anything else he says seriously??? You all believe we are going to find WMD in Iraq still too don't you? and believe in Santa? Maybe thats why its rare to find a barista over 40...They don't believe in fairy tales

[-m]

How many people over 40 really want to work as a Barista anyway? When is the last time you saw a Barista over 40 at ANY coffee shop? GImme a fuckin' break.

[loser]

what is the effing age do i have to be to work here !

[brooke nielsen]

what age do you hire at in sherwood park alberta?

[chase]

well, I was hired when I was 16, if that helps.

[rodneshia banks]

what age will they hire you at star bucks?