Starbucks confirms it's working on a new product for single-serve coffee machines

A Starbucks spokeswoman says the coffee chain hopes to accomplish with "single-serve coffee what Apple did for mobile phones." She adds that single-serve coffee is still in the early stages of development, and Starbucks hasn't even decided yet what the product will be called. Read "Starbucks eyes single-serve coffee market"

Comments

[Coffee Soldier]

Excellent!

[Sarah]

"Starcup".

[P]

God I hope this isn't going along with the Vanilla Creme focus this summer...thx corporate

[spence]

Please sell a single serve that fits into a Keurig. That is where the coffee customers are at.

[Jeff Tom]

spence,

a news report (here in seattle) said it would be compatible with Keurig. also that sbatbucks would be buying some/part of the Tully's operations dealing with that which was sold to Green Mountain.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/14/greenmountaincoffee-idUSNSGE71D0B20110214

[Venti Urnex Latte]

Starbucks offers something similar to this in the corporate market, where companies can have a Starbucks coffee machine (or a competitor's machine) in their lunchroom or break room. The machine makes one cup at a time. Maybe the plan is for an at-home version.

[Jeff Tom]

the current plan seems to be to license the Keurig platform, create SB branded machines, and to sell the coffee in KCups (or S-cups).

[escalante blogger]

well, that might be another product that coffee drinkers might love.

[ttv]

If that so, more customers will go with it.

[Coffee Soldier]

I just hope we sell the product exclusively in stores first for a while to let us build up some sales like we did with Via. Not a day goes by that a customer doesn't ask if we have k-cups. This will be a huge move for Starbucks and for our shares!

[spence]

Jeff Tom: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You made me happy.

[B.]

Pods would be much more environmentally-friendly than the non-biodegradable plastic in k-cups.

[chicagoshift]

We already sell the pods.

[Barista mom]

Venti Urnex Latte** The system you are talking about grounds beans for individual cups of coffee. While it is great in an office environment where you go through a lot of coffee it really wouldn't work at home before the beans are stale

[Martha]

@Barista mom--

You don't know how much coffee I drink!! ;D

[Coffee Soldier]

@chicagoshift...we sell pods for home use espresso machines already..basically pretamped so you drop it in to your portafilter and run the hot water thru...not the same pods we are all referring to in this conversation. Google the Kuerig brewer or K-cups and you will see.

[Jeff Tom]

So the move to the single serve coffee is one of the last "obvious" areas for Starbucks to extend its brand name.

So now we have (or have had):

Retail stores (Starbucks/Seattle's Best Coffee) (success)
Branded products (mugs/bears/etc (success)
Licensed stores (success)
Whole beans (retail/grocery) (success)
Brewers/pods (weak/failure)
Bottled/can beverages (success)
Instant coffee (success)
Single serve (TBD)
Alcoholic mixers (I assune success)

As well as

Some food (retail) - (success)
Chocolates (failure)
Healthy snacks (retail/weak) (failure)
Books (failure)
Online music/burn-it-yourself (failure)
Music (retail (weak/failure)
Movies/video (failure)

Where else is there to reasonably expand?

Besides continued market expansion, all i can reasonably see is restaurants....

Thoughts?

[Alexander]

Jeff, Starbucks tried doing restaurants that weren't SB branded. They failed once they were outed as being backed by Starbucks and were then flipped to coffee houses. I believe you can find an article about it on StarbucksMelody but I'm not sure..

[spence]

Corporate is no longer asking for Via sales counts. Sell it. Don't sell it. Doesn't matter. We are going to focus on home coffee in March. It can be Via, brewed, French press, whatever. We are going to sampling lots of brewed coffee.
I LOVE IT.

[Doppio Con Karma]

@ Spence,
It was my understanding that Via sales are still tracked, but that whole bean and via were lumped in together, so you're not sacrificing your whole bean sales to sell nothing but Via.
Still, love the move.

[karldotcom]

The original Keurig patents expire in four or five years...that is why they will be trying to sell everyone new machines with a slightly different process....

I think there are already folks selling K Cup compatible cups out there that are not approved.

[twitter.com/thatwoman]

Our Starbucks is selling a machine to basically make hot water for the Via. Or at least that is what the packaging appears to be saying. I haven't looked at it closely.

[Mike]

It's about time. The company has really been late on this one. I'd like to see a machine that makes the cold drinks too.