Linking to and commenting on Cherry Xu’s marketing blog: Starbucks? Tim Hortons?
I agree that Tim Hortons and Starbucks differ in many ways. Not only is their menu different, but they also attract a different crowd. Cherry’s textbook breakdown analysis points out that Tim Hortons is preferred by lower income people while Starbucks attracts those who are willing and able to pay more for their coffee. From my own observations, I confirm that Starbucks attracts business people. At UBC’s Sauder School of Business, frequent meetings are held and business people flood the place; most of these business people walk in with a cup of Starbucks coffee in their hand. Therefore, as a commerce student, and I am sure I speak for all of us at the Sauder School of Business, I believe a Starbucks right near our school would be very beneficial. Not only would the visiting business people be able to buy their coffee fresh, but also every commerce student could practice to walk in while wearing suits, to order their Cofe Americano or Cappuccino and then to discuss the latest business section of The Times while lounging in comfortable leather arm chairs. If universities are to be a micro cosmos of the real world, students at UBC should be given an opportunity to practice the Starbucks coffee ritual early on 🙂 .
( Posted on March 3rd )