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BUSINESS
Starbucks In the Crosshairs
Activism and consumerism
The running joke about Starbucks since its early says is it should be called “Five Bucks.” The reason? Yes, the outlets had a cool vibe and a great Google WiFi, but their products cost too much.
That didn’t seem to matter much until recently when Starbucks began falling out of favor with customers. The two issues are: worker’s rights and unionizing and Israel. Starbucks is on the opposite side of these issues right now at least in perception.
Many of its loyal customers willing to spend five bucks or even twenty bucks daily are staying away from its outlets. Some don’t like the place anymore on GP; others, it is the company’s attacks on union organizing and a perception that Starbucks supports Israel (Starbucks disputes this).
Starbucks has fought against unionization in its spaces openly. And, Starbucks has been alleged to be supportive of Israel despite the situation and deaths in Gaza. It does not matter what my position is on either of these issues; the public has sent a message to Starbucks and Starbucks has gotten the message loud and clear (on some level).
So, this week, Starbucks is changing the captain of their ship at last. The pressure from activists won Round 1 of this battle. According to Yahoo…
