So the Stores are a Bit Different, but What About the Websites?

Now back in the States, I have been able to reflect upon all the observations I made at the various Starbucks shops in London. I'd like to first start by saying, I was impressed and blown away by the consistency in each shop, especially because of the large number of shops in the city. I really did enjoy my daily trips to Starbucks, both getting my drink and observing the goings on in each shop. With the shops aside for a bit, I'd like to now look at the Starbucks website for the U.S. and the UK. I briefly scanned each site before I left on my journey to get a glimpse of what I was about to dive in to. I noticed from the get go that there were substantial differences on each site. I knew that I wanted to explore the shops before getting too in depth about the sites, but now the time has come to explore the differences on the web. I would like to first provide a screen shot of the U.S. Starbucks site as well as the UK Starbucks site. It will be quite obvious just by looking that there are differences from one site to the next.

United States Site:

United Kingdom Site:

As you can see these sites are quite different from each other. In fact, the background color and logo are basically the only similarities between the two. My initial thought when comparing the two websites is that the design was based on the cultures of each country. It appears that the U.S. site is trying to hold true to the American idea that "more is better". On the home page of the U.S. site are videos, links to Twitter and Facebook and a variety of other links leading to the menu and the Starbucks Card. Before I looked at the UK page, the U.S. page did not seem like anything out of the ordinary. Being a citizen of the U.S. I find loaded web pages to be the norm and I would find anything less to be a bit odd. After living in London for three weeks and soaking up a bit of the culture, I now have a new outlook on the U.S. page and also why the UK page looks the way it does. I found the culture in London, while fast paced, to be a bit more reserved and refined than that of the U.S. In addition to the differences in people, the method of advertising was also a bit different. With the majority of Londoners utilizing the mass transit system, people have time to read during commutes to work and elsewhere. I found the advertisements to have more copy, some with video and all were eye-catching. While this project was not about studying London advertising, I do think this information is helpful to understand why the UK Starbucks website is the way that it is. It only makes sense that people spend more time reading and looking at "adverts" in the underground and buses than online. It would make sense for Starbucks to channel its time and money into ads off the web to grab attention of commuters. Advertisements are not the only information on websites however, and the rest of the online content is the next level of information that I would like to explore. Both sites include menus, which showcase the main function of the Starbucks organization. Through my visits to different Starbucks locations in the UK and being a long-time patron to Starbucks in the U.S., I did notice some very different menu options in the UK. These differences that I have mentioned in the weeks prior, are also shown on the websites. The items on the menu are not the only differences, the layout of the online menus are quite different as well. On the U.S. site there are several ways to reach the menu and multiple ways to view it. It comes as no surprise to me that on the UK site there is one method of both getting to and viewing the menu. These differences again go right back to the cultural differences of the countries. I definitely do not want to sound like I am stating that one site is better than the other. I find it interesting and fascinating that the cultural identities have been considered in everything right down to the website layout. It is quite clear, with over 150 locations, that Starbucks is thriving in London. I think that part of the company's success can be attributed to the fact it has been so careful to respect the culture in which it entered. Like I mentioned before, I was so impressed by the uniformity of good service that I experienced at all shops. While the character and clientele may have varied from shop to shop, I was always certain that I was going to have a good experience. I think that Starbucks is definitely an example of a company that has successfully gone global.

AM

I Saved the Best for Last

As I told you earlier, I managed to save the best Starbucks for last. It all started about two weeks ago when my roommate, Michelle, came home and told me she had found the most amazing Starbucks near the River Thames. She shared a photo of it with me and from that point on I could not wait to pay it a visit. I ran by the shop briefly on Monday, but did not actually have enough time to go in. Today however, I made a special run on the Tube just to go to Starbucks. I'm sure you all are thinking, how exciting could a Starbucks possibly be, but this shop is in fact special. Everything from the location to the building itself is far different from any other Starbucks in London or the U.S. for that matter. This little gem is tucked away in the middle of some docks and surrounded by beautiful boats. Walking up to the shop it looks like it is on an island. There is a darling little bridge that leads up to the shop and a nice spread of tables and chairs outside. The building itself if the best part of all. As you can see from the photos, the shop is quite small, round and looks like a small Jefferson Memorial. I could not believe my eyes when I saw this darling little shop. I was eager to see the inside so I hurried in to check it out. It was the middle of the warm afternoon and I was in need of water and a snack. As I approached the counter I began to scan the glass case. I instantly locked my eyes on the Victoria Sponge Cupcake and knew that I must try it. As I waited for my turn to order I took a little video of the first floor of the monument. I hope this video will give you a little taste of what this shop is like.

After getting my water and cupcake, I headed up the spiral staircase to explore the upstairs. I found a table with a gorgeous view of the water and all the boats and sat down to enjoy my treat. I would like to share with you my initial thoughts on the cupcake that I purchased. Notice all the windows in the background and just imagine looking out the windows over the beautiful water. Here is just a taste of the cupcake:

I think it is quite obvious from my video that I loved the cupcake. The cupcake was not the only good part about this Starbucks quest. I have learned so much and really become aware of the differences and changes that were made to make Starbucks such a success in the UK. This process has been loads of fun and really allowed me to visit a variety of areas and get a feel for each one. I really liked how each shop resembled the area in which it was located. Even if I was just making a brief stop in an area to grab a coffee, I knew that I could tell a bit about the area based on the decor and offerings of Starbucks. I have many more photos and videos that I will be sifting through during the next week. I hope you will check back during that period to see everything that I have to share. Once I have put my final report of information together, I'll will be sure to share that as well. I hope you all have enjoyed this journey as much as I have. If I had to pick one thing from this experience that I learned it would be to study what you love because it will be so enjoyable and you will learn far more about it. Talk to you all soon. :)

AM

One Last Hurrah

Today was a sad day knowing that my Starbucks journey was coming to an end. I know that I will still frequent the shops back home, but it simply will not be the same. To make sure that I made the most of my last day of “Starbucksing” I visited two shops and took a variety of photos and videos. I definitely saved my visit to my very favorite London Starbucks for today. I will get to the info on this cool shop later, but first I must share other things. My first stop this morning was to a Starbucks located across the street from Victoria Station. I walk by this shop nearly every day and had yet to pay a visit. I decided that this morning, on my way to Buckingham Palace, I would journey into the Victoria Starbucks. This shop was a bit larger than many of the galley style shops that I have visited. I liked the layout of the shop because there was adequate seating both inside and outside of the shop. Being located near the busy Victoria Station, it makes sense that this shop can provide for a large number of people. As I prepared to order my drink, I spotted a treat that I am sure is only available here in the UK. In the glass case I saw a yellow cupcake called “Victoria Sponge Cupcake”. I am quite sure this treat is titled after the much-loved queen Victoria. I thought that it was such a cute idea to name a Starbucks treat after a queen, but I was bummed because I didn’t think that I would be able to try it. After taking a picture of it, I proceeded to order my drink, also one I have never seen before, an Espresso Frappuccino Light. My friends Katie and Michelle were also on my journey today so while I waited for my drink I decided to talk to Michelle about how she liked her drink.

As you can see, the Cafe Creme Frappuccino was a hit with Michelle as well. I made sure that after I enjoyed this delicious drink earlier in the week that I shared my experience with my friends. It appears that I won't be the only one requesting this Frappuccino back in the States. After I had finished talking to Michelle, my drink was ready to be enjoyed. I quickly collected my Frappuccino and headed outside to record my thoughts about the drink. I went ahead and had the barista hold the cream today, one day of that was a bit more than I can handle.

I was quite pleased with my drink choice today. I was glad that this Starbucks offered a lighter Frappuccino option. In the States very recently Starbucks launched the "Customizable Frappuccino" option. This option allows the customer the ability to select the kind of milk, amount of coffee and even how long the drink is blended. While I have to admit I am bummed that the UK does not yet offer this option, I was happy to see that the Espresso Frapp. came in "light". Another thing that I noticed about the Frappuccinos offered in London are that many of the U.S. flavors are not offered and different flavors are sold instead. Vanilla Bean and Java Chip are two flavors that I have not been able to locate at any of the Starbucks shops. Two Frappuccinos that are offered in London but not in the States are drinks with blackcurrants and passion fruit. Flavoring food and drinks with food seems to be a rather popular task here in London, so these flavors do not come as a total surprise to me.

Check back later for the rest of today's Starbucks journeys...

AM

The Famous Gold Card

Thursday morning began like any other day with a trip to Starbucks. The store of choice on this fine day was situated on Tottenham Court Road. The inside of the shop was rather generic and could have been any Starbucks in the U.S. There was however, something very different about my experience at the Tottenham shop. Being a Starbucks rewards member, I have a Starbucks Gold Card to use for purchasing my drinks. I have been using this card in London since the day I arrived and it was never a big deal. In the last week, a few baristas have made comments about it being a U.S. card. I didn't realize that London had different rewards cards and never thought much about the baristas inquiries about it being a foreign card. The questioning about my Gold Card at this particular store was far greater than any before. The cashier was so fascinated by my card and could not stop looking at it. After he looked at it a while and said how cool the U.S. card was he finally returned it to me. Just as I was putting my card in my wallet, the barista asked to see it again. He called his co-worker over and decided to share with him what he thought to be the coolest things. I became quite embarrassed because the workers and other customers were all looking at me like. I am glad that the baristas were so impressed by my card, but I got the feeling from everyone around me that people were thinking, oh geeze who does this American think she is? I couldn't wait for my drink to be ready and leave the store. My drink was quite delicious but I left feeling utterly embarrassed. I must admit, I think it is an absolutely wonderful service that Starbucks allows its cards to be used around the world, but maybe it would be a good idea to make the cards uniform. In the previous inquiries about the card, most of the baristas had to ask what kind of card I was using. It would save a bit of time not having to explain that the gold card is from Starbucks and also the embarrassment of when the barista is super fascinated by it. My card has proven to be very useful throughout my journey, but it has also caused a few bumps.

Be back later.

AM