Foot Traffic At Starbucks Is Down After Revised Bathroom Policy (Especially Near Homeless Shelters)

[PeteS in CA]

https://hotair.com/archives/john-s-2/2019/11/18/starbucks-study/

Foot Traffic At Starbucks Is Down After Revised Bathroom Policy (Especially Near Homeless Shelters)

When Starbucks announced last year that tables and bathrooms in their stores were open to anyone, whether or not they bought coffee, it seemed likely that the outcome would be negative. Now a study published last week by outside researchers has found foot traffic is down nearly 7 percent at Starbucks since the policy change.

Academics from the University of Texas at Dallas Jindal School of Management and Boston College Carroll School of Management, in collaboration with SafeGraph, released a comprehensive research study that revealed Starbucks visits declined 6.8%, relative to nearby restaurants and cafes, after the company changed to an open bathroom policy.
...

The researchers who produced the study relied on anonymized cell phone tracking data, which allowed them to monitor visits to Starbucks stores and to compare that to visits to other competing coffee chains. It also allowed them to determine that proximity to homeless shelters played a role in driving down traffic:

I emphasized a key point, which is that this decrease in store traffic is relative to similar nearby stores. This factors out any general locale effects. So Starbucks store traffic is down, regardless of location relative to concentrations of homeless people, but more strongly for those Starbucks stores that are close to shelters. Who could have foreseen this?

[catfish1957]

You mean non-customer bathroom breakers won't be duped for a $5 cup of coffee?

[Applewood]

Well, I quit patronizing Starbucks well before the bathroom policy change.  Their coffee is overpriced and it sucks.

[Wingnut]

Couldn't have happen to a better SJW company.  They sell pretentious poser juice for 5 bucks or more a cup.  The jig is up.   Also WTF is the upside for a "barista"  for future advancement in their chosen field?

Would you like a scone with your trenta vanilla sweet cream cold brew with two pumps of vanilla, three pumps of caramel syrup, two pumps of cinnamon dolce syrup, two pumps of hazelnut, two pumps of toffee nut syrup, two pumps of mocha, two pumps of white mocha, two pumps of pumpkin sauce, three pumps of maple pecan syrup, and five shots of espresso? 

[libertybele]

Couldn't have happen to a better SJW company.  They sell pretentious poser juice for 5 bucks or more a cup.  The jig is up.   Also WTF is the upside for a "barista"  for future advancement in their chosen field?

Would you like a scone with your trenta vanilla sweet cream cold brew with two pumps of vanilla, three pumps of caramel syrup, two pumps of cinnamon dolce syrup, two pumps of hazelnut, two pumps of toffee nut syrup, two pumps of mocha, two pumps of white mocha, two pumps of pumpkin sauce, three pumps of maple pecan syrup, and five shots of espresso?

Never had a Starbucks coffee.  The flavored additives you mention above, don't sound at all appealing.  I heard that Starbucks contains carcinogens.  No thanks. 

I treat myself to an occasional cup of coffee at home -- 1/2 & 1/2 added only.

[Fishrrman]

The only time I've ever been in a Starbucks was to just use the men's room.
And I didn't buy any coffee or anything else.

If I want good coffee, I go to Dunkin' ... ;)

[Cyber Liberty]

The only time I've ever been in a Starbucks was to just use the men's room.
And I didn't buy any coffee or anything else.

If I want good coffee, I go to Dunkin' ... ;)

Dunkin is getting rid of the Styrofoam cups.

[Neverdul]

I like my Starbucks - my favorite is the caramel macchiato, skim with an extra shot. I do however mostly use the drive through, not because I’ve had any issues inside, never seen any vagrants, just more convent on my way to work and a bit quicker especially if I order ahead on the app.

I used to like DD and I still get their K-cups or ground at the grocery store but the last time I had one at a DD, a dark roast, it tasted weak. And Micky D’s is nauseatingly, sickening sweet.


I also sometimes get my Starbucks located inside my local Target 

[libertybele]

I like my Starbucks - my favorite is the caramel macchiato, skim with an extra shot. I do however mostly use the drive through, not because I’ve had any issues inside, never seen any vagrants, just more convent on my way to work and a bit quicker especially if I order ahead on the app.

I used to like DD and I still get their K-cups or ground at the grocery store but the last time I had one at a DD, a dark roast, it tasted weak. And Micky D’s is nauseatingly, sickening sweet.


I also sometimes get my Starbucks located inside my local Target 

s
I on occasion go into Target as well but not nearly as much as I used too. Don't like their slant towards political correctness.

[Wingnut]

Dunkin is getting rid of the Styrofoam cups.

DAmn.  The DD went woke?   

[IsailedawayfromFR]

It's not just foot traffic.

Net income is way down by a billion dollars compared to comparable qtr in 2018.

https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/SBUX/financials/

[roamer_1]

I also sometimes get my Starbucks located inside my local Target 

I'll admit I have never set foot in the local Starbucks... I like Copper Mountain Coffee, which is a local/regional brand up here... There are probably five of their huts here in town.

But I must confess... The local Albertson's grocery where I shop put a Starbucks counter inside, and I do like having a coffee while I am getting groceries.