Temple Professor Says Starbucks Sells People a Lifestyle

A Temple University professor has released a book about Starbucks, based on years of research at outlets all over the world.

The author concludes Starbucks is not really selling coffee, but a lifestyle image: [we DO sell coffee!]

“If you read the signs at Starbucks and if you read their own advertisements, this is a lot of what they’re selling is all these different things, in the cup.”

History professor Bryant Simon spend 15 hours a week in Starbucks. [what a job!] He visited 425 of its stores in nine countries, but mostly in Philadelphia, and he concluded that people go for much more than coffee:

“For instance, we had this real need for community, we had a real need for safety, we had this real need for predictability, we had this need to give ourselves treats.”

Simon’s book “Everything but the Coffee: Learning about America from Starbucks,” explores what our purchases say about us.

Starbucks, he says, provides a cheap status symbol and the illusion of community, though he believes true connection cannot be found in an international chain.

source: KYW NewsRadio

I have long said that the cup sleeve is just that: a “status symbol”. They’re really not necessary on most drinks in my opinion, just straight up coffee and teas. However, if we ever run out, people go bizzerk! Status symbol: I agree!

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