How are SBUX customers taking today's price increases?

The price of some Starbucks drinks went up today in the Northeast and Sunbelt regions. Any fallout? Or did customers shrug? (There's good news for Chicago-area Starbucks customers: their drink prices went down a bit because of a lower sales tax that kicked in with the new year.)

* What your Starbucks coffee habit is going to cost you over time. Join the FANS OF STARBUCKS GOSSIP group on Facebook and read the piece.

Comments

[Inbeanform]

Ours went up a while back in Cali... Some grumbled no biggie. What I was wondering though is after our meeting about the new " Blonde" roast launch did your managers say anything about getting written up if any blonde jokes are heard etc? They know this will be inevitable right if not from us then a crapload of people... Just saying.

[Cmbeetle]

I noticed that they went up in parts of Northern California, but they hadn't hit AZ yet...I am really bummed. I gave up the fancy lattes when I stopped working for SBUX years ago because it was a habit I knew I couldn't afford. I do however love a good cup of coffee on my way to work, so I would stop in a few times a week.

I could justify this habit by saying that it was only $1.60 for a tall, but when it's now going to be $1.75 I might have to dust off the Mr. Coffee and break out the travel mug :( How sad is it that in this economy a measly .15 can be my breaking point!

I am curious about the "blonde roast"...is is going to be as terrible as the Pike's Place Roast?

[Jeff Tom]

Yeah, I refuse to drink Pike Place, no exception. I was at the Lake City Way "north" store (Seattle) just this afternoon, and they still had the sign up for the house blend, which I ordered and was shot down as the switch-over had already occurred. They did not offer the pour over, and I was not going to beg. Left for another coffee place down the street.

[Venti Urnex Latte]

This story exaggerates a lot. If you aren't drinking a $4 latte every day, you are likely drinking something else. So if you substitute a $2 drink from the corner deli, you are saving $2, not $4. Only if you bought nothing would you save $4, and then you would starve or dehydrate.

And it is ridiculous to assume a 9 percent rate of return in this economy.

I kind of hate such simplistic "latte factor" stories, even though it is true that Starbucks has extraordinarily high prices. We had one customer who put Starbucks as a separate category on his Quicken. He bought a card for $37.50 each week, because that is exactly what he spent.

[mnmsr4me]

I disagree that Starbucks has extraordinarily high prices. Starbucks is cheaper in my area than every other coffee shop.

[I drink Starbucks for free]

I find Starbucks expensive even with my 30% discount -_-;

[Anon]

compared to other coffee shops (from what I've seen in LA at least) Sbux seems about the same or cheaper.

It makes sense, though, because as such a large company sbux CAN be cheaper compared to the corner shop that really can't waste milk and afford to give free syrups, etc.

Now if you're going to make coffee at home and drink it black - then you're probably saving money. I personally like flavored creamer in my coffee so I probably pay about the same for what I use (coffee, water, flavored creamer) compared to the tall vanilla latte I get at sbux.

[George]

Prices went up at my Starbucks outside Clearwater, Fla. Talking about it to a barista there today, she said there'd been little comment: "To tell you the truth, I don't think most people even noticed."

[lattelady]

The regulars, especially those who use exact change, will notice and as usual the barista will get the brunt and backlash.

[Me]

Not much of a reaction. Mostly from exact change customers, but we have a change jar available for the first few days.

[Rick Wilborn]

What's this 1% increase rumor. My drink, venti hazlenut americano, just increased about 6% !!!! I have had Starbucks every day for over 4 years, but today was my last !!! Keurig here I come !

[Judy]

and venti iced tea went up 20 cents, that's nearly 10%!

[Sara Senama]

The vent White Choclate Mocha in my area went up 12%. It will be my last, as I move to a local cafe nearby. The coffee is just as good and still decent prices.

[PETER]

What a joke Starbucks raises prices and yet they beat up there vendors to low charges a relative of mine owns a company that repairs brewing equipment and they been beating up on him to lower his charges and yet FSN hires companines that dont even know how to fix there equpiment and lets them come back two to three times at least to repair it and because each invoices is under the radar at the end it cost them more money to repair

[Michael]

I didn't notice a price increase in the suburbs... Kind of scared to go to the Starbucks around the block from my apartment (NY). It's already over $5..