Starbucks Swot

* Starbucks are very good at taking advantage of opportunities. In 2004, the company created a CD-burning service in their Santa Monica (California USA) cafe with Hewlett Packard, where customers create their own music CD.

see if you can identify additional capabilities and core competencies. Do you think the core competencies mentioned in the case and/or the ones you found are valuable, rare, difficult to imitate, and nonsubstitutable and as such, are also competitive advantages? Why or why not?

It can expand its supply network by increasing its global presence. Starbucks has great opportunities in growing economies. It should create coffee houses in places such as India and China, where it has invested modestly now. Starbucks can also broaden its target market by offering more products. They could perhaps increase the number of stores that sell beer and alcohol, which could considerably increase their sales.

Basically Starbucks faced three major risks at domestic region. On of which was saturated market condition (USA). Fifteen years ago they initially started with 17 coffee shops in Seattle and 5,689 outlets in 28 countries. Now, amazingly 4,247 stores scattered across the United State and Canada. In Seattle there is outlet for every 9,400 people. And the company considers that the upper limit of coffee shop saturation.

1. What is competitive advantage, and how does it relate to a company’s business model?

Competitive advantage is explained by Mahoney and Pandian (1992) as the function of industry analysis, organizational governance and the firm’s effects in the form of resource advantages and strategies. In order for a firm to be competitive it must adapt to the volatile business environment and through strategic management decisions establish a competitive advantage that will ultimately produce superior performance relative to its competitors (Akimova 2000).

In terms of competition and the forces, which could limit the success of Starbucks it is important they stay ahead or even with other companies concerning innovative products. Many more micro companies are coming up with new products with a similar quality and a lower price/cost. It is important that Starbucks continues to search for innovative products to continually satisfy their customers. At the same time “rivalry” amongst Starbucks and smaller providers of coffee will continue to increase as the demand for coffee continues. The buyers bargaining power is significant as they can determine the cost, type of product, quantity and ultimately

Factors in the global environment provide both opportunities and strengths for Starbucks. Opportunities such as increased revenues, further expansions, and achieving their goal of becoming the most respected brand worldwide. Starbucks also faced threats. These threats include dealing with growing antiglobalization overseas and their huge risk of less return on each overseas store, this deriving from overseas operations being run by local partners instead of Starbucks

* Starbucks expanded to pursue sales of products in a variety of distribution channels and market segments. Products were marketed to restaurants, airlines, hotels, universities, hospitals, business offices, country clubs, and select retailers. In the airline industry, Starbucks coffee was served in flights United Airlines and United Airlines. Packets of Starbucks coffee along with coffee making equipment were made available in each room in Hyatt, Hilton, Sheraton, Radisson and Westin Hotels. Coffee service was also provided in several Wells Fargo banks in California. Foodservice distributors such as Sysco

Starbucks largely rely on countries located in remote areas of Asia for its products – Ceylon, India, Sumatra etc. Countries in that region have been experiencing a wave of natural disasters over the past year, from Tsunamis to earthquakes and floods and it appears that there is no end in sight.

I think Starbucks certainly is a force for globalization, and already is, with presence not just in North America but Canada, Japan, Britain, Thailand, etc and not just because it offers a product (coffee) that is known and sold around the world very well, so it is easier to reach customers because people are familiar with drinking coffee, as a part of the daily basis, and plus the idea of a coffeehouse, a place to go and spend some time with friends, or studying, or even for business meetings is also a hit in a lot of cultures, these are regular activities for a good amount of people, so the market is there, the coffee culture is already there too, Starbucks will have to analyze other type of situations like competitors, or purchasing power of the specific country to determine if

The threats to the Starbucks Corporation are associated with competitive rivalries in the coffee market, rise in price of raw materials, cultural and political factors related international business.

Starbucks’ retail entry model in the United States does not have the same strategy as their international model. In the states Starbucks holds great control as a corporation, but in international territory, country partnerships, cultural, government laws and politics play a very important role in Starbucks’ entry strategy. Starbucks has set it sights globally since the coffee market has come close to saturation in the U.S. which will give them the opportunity to continue to expand without fierce competition. Starbucks has looked to countries like India and other emerging markets with great growth potential to set down new roots. Starbucks recognizes India as a great choice to expand business internationally but also recognizes the complexity in the same market after several attempts to enter without success.

Starbucks is striving to build a better company by expanding our focus in three areas that can have a significant impact. These areas include working with farmers to develop a future, bringing green retail to a global scale, and building opportunities for the younger generation.

There are a lot of opportunities for co-branding with the India local company, these might be another strategic to gain more profit for Starbucks Coffee Company. Co-branding with other manufacturers of food and drink, and brand franchising with the lowest cost to manufacturers of other goods and services both have potential.