The (almost) Five-Dollar Coffee
While doing some Christmas shopping at my local mall, I visited a fancy coffee store only to find disappointment. Apparently we haven't been paying enough for coffee at an already-overpriced chain, and this was a problem that had to be dealt with sooner than later.
Looking at it from less-cynical and marketing perspectives, $4.80 CDN sounds like a reasonable medium. It's well above the price of a typical coffee, but still under the magical five-dollar "that's absolutely ridiculous" limit.
Unhealthy and overpriced, where do I sign up?
Here in Canada, a "Venti" Cafe Mocha coffee ran you $4.20 and likely weighed in at over 400 calories by relation last I checked. You will now pay $4.80 for the same privilege. One of these drinks would make for a handy wake-me-up on the way to the gym, where you will be hoping to burn off the liquid caloric equivalent of a Big Mac that you just drank. (Yikes.)
Cue theoretical executive business meeting:
Exec 1: Sugar and coffee prices have risen recently John, we need to do something about this.
Exec 2: Bob, our current retail price of $4.20 on a large Mocha provides a healthy profit of 800%. Are you saying we should raise the prices again?
Exec 1: Yes, John, I've been reading up on the Jobs marketing approach recently and I think that's exactly what we should do. Raise it another 60 cents! Our cult members will celebrate the price increase, citing improvements such as exclusive performance and ease-of-use when compared to other brands, all the while promoting our brand as a status symbol.
Exec 2: Bob, I like your style. Larry, you still with us on the phone? Give this man a raise.
That is exactly how it likely went down; the type of beverages being consumed at this imaginary meeting is left as an exercise in cynicism for the reader.
Too Much is Never Enough
The weekend blend. Insert irony here.
As good as a large Mocha is, I now have two good reasons to forgo them and their less-than-impressive provider; I can do better with more money in my pocket and a simultaneously-lower calorie intake.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my routine saturday-morning coffee-drinking vice.
I'm going to continue drinking Starbucks coffee, but at $12 for a two-pound bag of coffee beans that last for months at home, it certainly isn't the overpriced and less-healthy whipping-cream-topped in-store variety. I didn't frequent the stores often before, but now I have even lesser reason to do so.