Starbucks pulls CD-burning stations out of most test stores

After two years of testing the machines at 15 stores in Seattle and 30 stores in Austin, Texas, Starbucks has pulled them out of all but five locations in each city and will not install them in future stores. The machines are quickly becoming outdated as people just download music to their mp3 players from iTunes and other sources. (Seattle Times)
> From the Austin American-Statesman: "Launching the service without the ability for customers to download music directly to their MP3 players was a major misstep," says John Moore, a former marketer for Starbucks who now runs Brand Autopsy, an Austin consulting firm.

Comments

[austin]

So wait....
burning CDs at Starbucks is a marketing failure, but selling childrens audiobooks is going to be a goldmine? Because we all know that the kids these days are totally into their audiobooks.

I love audiobooks, and I'm not alone. Why do you think audible.com is so successful??

[Lauren]

I think I have enough mothers who have visa bills that they don't even look at before it auto-deducts from their checking account to sell these books.

That and our dot and dash mugs were gone in half a day (and in all honesty their kd basket and table were kinda out of the way).

As far as removing the music stations go I have to say that it's Starbucks having their eyes open -- very open -- and acting quickly and efficiently when a plan didn't work.

[Jon]

I think if we could sell the audiobooks with an option for downloading a AAC file for iPod, that would be proody kewl.

[blonde barista]

so you add a feature that lets you either burn a CD or download it onto your iPod. people download music from iTunes, i bet people would sit at the store and be like "hmm, i like this song..." and go download it. i friggn would! plus it'd be marketing gold for starbucks AND apple, can't you see those little shadowy people with their white iPod and white starbucks cup?!

also, i think the reason kids stuff sells so well is because parents come in their with their kids and they don't want to be the parent with the screaming kid, so they buy them what they want. but those dot and dash mugs are FRIGGIN CUTE.

[Jesse "Captain Rufio" Miller]

[Quote]burning CDs at Starbucks is a marketing failure, but selling childrens audiobooks is going to be a goldmine? Because we all know that the kids these days are totally into their audiobooks.[/quote]
I don't know that Starbucks is having a lot of marketing failures. Did they lose a lot of money in this venture or did they just not make as much as they wanted? Part of the business sense of a good company is knowing when to stop pushing one product to push a different one that will make more money. As far as audio books go... Kids love them. Check out the popularity of the kids audiobook section of any library and you will see what I mean.

[Juve]

I would prefer to download my audiobooks directly into my device, like a phone, or iPod, rather than PC first then into device? I am waiting for my phones (and I know there are some that allow it) to handle downloads of my audiobooks. Why carry 3 or 4 devices with you? Here is a audiobook phone compatible list http://www.playsforsure.com/SearchResults.aspx?searchtype=GetStarted&cat=SmartPhone

Not many right now. Found in http://www.boktones.com audiobook phone compatible list

[Intuicuct]

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