News Forum - Starbucks steams up with price hike, now costlier than Thailand’s minimum wage

[Vigo]

2 minutes ago, Thommo said:

Sounds like a shareholder. 

Grateful consumer. Without access to Villa, where do you find your quality decaf coffee? Where do you purchase a cinnamon brioche, or low fat blueberry muffin, or apple turnover outside of Bangkok, e.g. in  Hua Hin.

BTW I don't consume coffee at Starbucks outlets. I brew at home.

[HiuMak]

The staple coffee set up with vision of one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time, has now become a luxury product.

[Smiler]

Interesting debate going on here, I’m just glad I hate coffee, coffee cake, coffee sweets and even the smell of coffee give me a cup of tea anyday.

 

[Marc26]

19 hours ago, Pinetree said:

None of that is even near to correct. It's a lazy persons outlet, or one where choice and time is limited.  Grab a shit coffee on the way to work in a big city.  Most coffee drunk in Thailand is without a doubt, at home, in local shopping centers , or in the thousands of local, small coffee shops that have sprung up all over the country in recent years. There are no SBs outside tourist areas/attractions and big Cities, not a one.   SB financial figures are manipulated, untrue and based on various tax avoidance scams throughout the World. 

I'd much rather go to a local coffee shop over Starbucks

 

But to refute that it's a successful franchise is preposterous. 

 

People are so weird on this forum

[QECE]

59 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

I'd much rather go to a local coffee shop over Starbucks

But to refute that it's a successful franchise is preposterous. 

People are so weird on this forum

Yeah, if one hasn't noticed as of yet, the small independent coffee shops/cafes have sprung up in droves throughout numerous provinces [local coffee] and not just in the population centres - you'll find 'em in the middle of nowhere. The greater percentage thrive under the weight of competition. 

Akin to the local noodle shop.....all of a sudden, everyone's got the craze to do hole-in-the-wall cafes.

Every Thai I know doesn't know what a Starbucks is. Such a story is clearly oriented for the Farang market. 

[TSS]

unlike just 15 or so years ago you can find a good coffee anyway you like it almost anywhere. Even the Allcafe and Kudsan coffee boutiques in the 7-11s are good enough for a quick road stop. Starbucks are good for the folks who like to see and be seen in there and that's fine. I'm a longtime sb shareholder. Their coffees are OK but too expensive  for me.

[Pinetree]

3 hours ago, Marc26 said:

to refute that it's a successful franchise is preposterous. 

I didn't say that.  I said it's a shit company, with questionable objectives in terms of tax,  selling shit coffee at stupid prices. It's certainly successful at doing that. 

[Grumpish]

3 hours ago, Pinetree said:

I didn't say that.  I said it's a shit company, with questionable objectives in terms of tax,  selling shit coffee at stupid prices. It's certainly successful at doing that. 

I wouldn't say shit - mediocre at best, maybe. But it is consistent, you can go into a Starbucks anywhere in the world and know exactly what you are going to get. I agree with you on the tax front, but then multinationals that don't exploit tax loopholes are probably in a very small minority.

[Sparrows]

Starbuck’s in Thailand more expensive than the uk, which is hard to fathom. Target market in Thailand is tne rich and foolish. The image seekrs. Plenty of cheaper, better options and since they all have wifi now, I can’t see any reason to go into a Starbucks.

[Marc26]

17 hours ago, QECE said:

 

Every Thai I know doesn't know what a Starbucks is. Such a story is clearly oriented for the Farang market. 

Expats and farang have tendency to take their experience and apply it all over (and also exgerrate if it suits their narrative)

 

I don't think the vast majority of Thais ever had a Starbucks

 

But unless they live in the far fetches of a remote village

 

Most would know what Starbucks is

 

There are 465 stores and it's been in Thailand for 25 years

[Marc26]

6 hours ago, Sparrows said:

Starbuck’s in Thailand more expensive than the uk, which is hard to fathom. Target market in Thailand is tne rich and foolish. The image seekrs. Plenty of cheaper, better options and since they all have wifi now, I can’t see any reason to go into a Starbucks.

It's not hard to fathom 

 

Thailand would have a lesser distribution system than the UK

 

Same thing as Burger King 

It's incredibly expensive in Thailand because of the not as big as a distributor center

[HiuMak]

Starbucks does not mean coffee to consumers now but rather a lifestyle.

[Pinetree]

6 minutes ago, HiuMak said:

Starbucks does not mean coffee to consumers now but rather a lifestyle.

I don't mean to be dismissive, but what life style is that?  Drinking crap, expensive coffee, eating over priced cakes while you sit on house furniture with your lap top or kindle?  You can do that in copy coffee shops the World over and not pay SB prices. I know what you are saying, it's just 20 years out of date. SB has certainly been overtaken here in LOS by much better outlets, 

[Marc26]

2 hours ago, HiuMak said:

Starbucks does not mean coffee to consumers now but rather a lifestyle.

You guys are being a bit hysterical 

 

It's  a coffee shop

Some like it, some don't.....

[Vigo]

19 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

You guys are being a bit hysterical 

It's  a coffee shop

Some like it, some don't.....

Perhaps they are looking for a guarantee of diarrhea or a stomach bloat following consumption of a chain's greasy chicken skin or greasy fast food burgers?

 

[Marc26]

11 hours ago, Vigo said:

Perhaps they are looking for a guarantee of diarrhea or a stomach bloat following consumption of a chain's greasy chicken skin or greasy fast food burgers?

Ha

 

My wife works at a Thai restaurant in Canada 

 

A customer called and complained they had diarrhea after eating there

 

I said I just assume I will at most restaurants and consider it a win if I don't 5555

[Ramanathan.P]

I feel Amazon is far more better than Starb(s)ucks. 

[Grumpish]

On 1/7/2024 at 10:42 PM, Marc26 said:

It's not hard to fathom 

Thailand would have a lesser distribution system than the UK

Same thing as Burger King 

It's incredibly expensive in Thailand because of the not as big as a distributor center

In relative terms, yes Starbucks is incredibly expensive in Thailand - it may be coincidence, but most times it seems that Starbucks has more or less one global price. Anyway, if you want decent coffee in South-East Asia - go to Vietnam. 

[Marc26]

4 hours ago, Grumpish said:

In relative terms, yes Starbucks is incredibly expensive in Thailand - it may be coincidence, but most times it seems that Starbucks has more or less one global price. Anyway, if you want decent coffee in South-East Asia - go to Vietnam. 

I'm not a coffee drinker but I made sure to try Vietnamese coffee

 

 

But the occasion that I do drink a cappuccino in Thailand 

 

I am happy with one of the many nice local cafes that have popped up all over Thailand 

[MrStretch]

On 1/5/2024 at 10:49 AM, BJoe said:

The factors hinted seem to indicate that the sluggish economy generates less customers but the cost of operation remains fixed…. thus leading to lower profits. To maintain the target profit margin, prices need to increase. 

That is very much a Thai approach to business.  I remember several years ago when tourist numbers were dropping after the the coup of Yingluck's administration that several merchants and business owners hiked prices to maintain their margins, instead of offering discounts to attract more customers.

Money in hand is everything here.  Ever try to get a refund?

[rkhguy]

On 1/8/2024 at 5:37 AM, Marc26 said:

Expats and farang have tendency to take their experience and apply it all over (and also exgerrate if it suits their narrative)

I don't think the vast majority of Thais ever had a Starbucks

But unless they live in the far fetches of a remote village

Most would know what Starbucks is

There are 465 stores and it's been in Thailand for 25 years

There is a Starbucks next to where I work.

There are always lots of Thai customers in there.

Suburban Bangkok location, maybe a little higher than average income here among Thais.

Edited January 10 by rkhguy
to make sensible grammar lol

[rkhguy]

On 1/8/2024 at 8:49 AM, HiuMak said:

Starbucks does not mean coffee to consumers now but rather a lifestyle.

Yes, maybe a fashion accessory to be seen with (or at) to advertise the lifestyle.

 

 

 

[Guest1]

Guys, the price rise is not even 2%

-... the prices of its beverages will be increased by 5 baht at all of its stores -

Starbucks is, and was, a show off live style thing. And was over 300 baht already.

So before it was just under minimum pay/day, now it is a bit over the minimum, minimum pay.

Lots of you seem to focus on the side information and leaving out, that oeople are used to pay that much, at starbucks. It is a 2% rise only!

The people sitting there (in shopping mal outlets) often just want to be seen sitting there, many just wanna work a bit on notebooks and not smell like after Mc Donalds. They do  not have trouble to pay even this, now. They could do it before.

In Phuket central floresta is a big one, open, and my impression is, people most often sit long and longer over one coffee. It is not like they would order cup after cup or so.

[Marc26]

13 hours ago, Guest1 said:

Guys, the price rise is not even 2%

-... the prices of its beverages will be increased by 5 baht at all of its stores -

Starbucks is, and was, a show off live style thing. And was over 300 baht already.

So before it was just under minimum pay/day, now it is a bit over the minimum, minimum pay.

Lots of you seem to focus on the side information and leaving out, that oeople are used to pay that much, at starbucks. It is a 2% rise only!

The people sitting there (in shopping mal outlets) often just want to be seen sitting there, many just wanna work a bit on notebooks and not smell like after Mc Donalds. They do  not have trouble to pay even this, now. They could do it before.

In Phuket central floresta is a big one, open, and my impression is, people most often sit long and longer over one coffee. It is not like they would order cup after cup or so.

Not pointed at you directly 

 

But I often find it amusing so many expats and farang in Thailand go on about how people do things "to be seen" or "show off"

 

 

Then immediately build the biggest house is some poor village 55555

[Boonmee]

On 1/6/2024 at 4:33 PM, Pinetree said:

and where is that, you don't say where. 

Meung Suphan...