Starbucks has 'a branding issue' due to social media, says BofA's Sara Senatore

Sara Senatore, Bank of America senior restaurant analyst, joins CNBC's 'The Exchange' to discuss the demand from former Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz for a company revamp, how the coffee chain can improve operations, and more.

[@MeowmyandMe]

I was a daily Starbucks customer, a triple-shot latte per day. Wasn’t cheap but I was ok with that part. What I didn’t like was the prices kept going up while the quality of service declined. They kept messing up my order (and I am not talking petty screwups that only a Karen would complain about, I am talking stuff like asking for no foam and the cup I get is half foam or asking for extra hot only to receive lukewarm). I got tired of politely asking for my drink to be corrected only to be treated to eye rolls, huffs and other attitude from their constantly changing employees. I started to think it was ridiculous to pay $7.50 daily for a drink I was no longer enjoying and frequently felt bad complaining about. So I broke the habit and frankly I don’t really miss it

[@jjukjkjiok7782]

same here!

[@gotbokeh4482]

I would get the exact same drink almost daily with a grilled cheese. Then they reduced the points earned and i had the same issues. They shrunk the grilled cheese to like 50% of the size… i just make my own food now, all orgaic and cheaper! And more fun!

[@davidng2699]

Starbucks can learn more from reading the comments here than listening to themselves

[@bngr_bngr]

Did you tip?

[@keithb372]

They charge $8.00 for a grilled cheese sandwich. I'll go to Trader Joes instead.

[@gotbokeh4482]

Amen free market at work

[@bngr_bngr]

My local dinner makes one for less.

[@jamesandrew6153]

I told my wife no one day! I said I’ll make you a grilled cheese right now to avoid you spending $8 for a cold sandwich with cheese

[@briantep458]

its not a branding issue, its a $5 coffee issue. Especially when I can make the same cup (with k-cups) for 25 cents

[@jjukjkjiok7782]

actually it was fine when it was 3$ when I came to the US in 2010, I even tolerated 5$ incl. tax for a small/tall, but now that it is hitting 6$ for a tall white mocha with tax and 7$ or more for larger sizes, I cannot buy it anymore. No way a beverage should cost as much as a sandwich. Oh wait, they will sell you an overpriced sandwich too for a total of 15-20$ per person!

[@paulgilliland2992]

K cups have some of the worst coffee anywhere. Their business model is to pay a licensing fee to whomever, pick any name . The coffee you’re getting isn’t sourced from those big names . It’s whatever they decide to use when they process the batch.

[@drelove2010]

I went today, in Cali it’s only $3.45 for a cup of coffee

[@bngr_bngr]

Pricing is part of branding.

[@javajoe4]

'branding issue ' = too expensive

[@marziyaquaid4926]

genocide issue

[@SuperCatbert]

no its not branding. Starbucks is overpriced rubbish. End of.

[@2011hwalker]

and the in store experience has declined clearly.

[@Ducotevision]

I won’t support Starbucks and their woke employee base…

[@southrichmondtofl]

Someone get's it!

[@Wise__guy]

It’s not a be wokeness smart pants it’s about them supporting the geno side

[@Ducotevision]

@@Wise__guy you can label it whatever you like… I’m speaking the language of the general public….

[@bngr_bngr]

@@Wise__guygeno?

[@Watercoolerchat]

Here's the problem... it's expensive coffee that is rising in cost AND taking longer to serve in store. Too much focus on the app and not on in store . When you take 100s of app customers and ignore in store waiting customers, We are leaving to Tim Hortons And yes, pricing IS A PROBLEM

[@gotbokeh4482]

If i have to download a stores app to get a reasonable price, i just skip and drive to my local grocery store

[@MeowmyandMe]

THIS. I lost count of the number of times I stood at the counter ignored while the barista made five or six mobile order drinks before even asking what I want.

[@user-ly7xe5mj8z]

Lmao prices are too high

[@scotthanford9619]

Make coffee at home. Put in Yeti. Go to work. Starbucks gets the Heisman.

[@MBarberfan4life]

I can't think of a worse stock to own in this inflationary environment. Overpriced coffee is one of the first things people cut out of their budget. What value do they offer? LOL!

[@gotbokeh4482]

If the prices were good i would maybe think about it once in a while. I used to be an almost daily customer

[@jamesandrew6153]

As long as inflation comes down long term it’s a great stock to buy today

[@MosesKim-je5rj]

It's called a "recession"

[@gotbokeh4482]

It’s called corporate greed People are spending money at different stores

[@Wise__guy]

Sure sure keep telling yourself that

[@aahmed29]

Its bot a branding issue through social media. Lot of people always thought Starbucks overrated.

[@lotto5742]

They need a new CEO. They need to poach somebody from Chipotle that understands food logistics.

[@bngr_bngr]

I’m sure the CEO has a parachute package.

[@incyphe]

I dread going to starbucks in NYC because 1. Most employees don't seem to want to work there. 2. There is no working bathroom in most location. 3. Interior is not clean or comfortable, with exception of a few Reserve flagship locations. Get rid of the tipping. Pay people better so that you can attract higher quality talent. You can actually get more done with smaller staff, because most locations are overstaffed yet the service is slow.

[@bngr_bngr]

The tipping situation is ridiculous. I hate the tip screens. I stopped tipping. The service is the same.

[@bthink3610]

Dear comment section, Starbucks has always been expensive…now everyone is expensive

[@samsonchan127]

Branding AND Pricing are connected - they simply cannot justify their current pricing with the declining branding power (or whatever "value proposition" the CEO and now Sara are talking about).

[@sneakyquick]

They have a charging 10 times the cost of their product you can easily make at home issue.

[@jamesandrew6153]

Pricing is one of the main problems! Y’all just make enough money so a $6-8 latte everyday ain’t a big deal That’s a full bag a coffee from the store That is a bad deal

[@paulgilliland2992]

Down the fairway with prices versus their competitors. Who exactly is there #1 and 2 competitors in the us.

[@bngr_bngr]

McDonalds.

[@bngr_bngr]

Getting a Starbucks coffee is like getting a meal at a dinner.

[@vijjreddy]

STARBUCKS HAS NO BRANDING ISSUE, WHAT IT HAS IS A PRICING ISSUE.... AS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE REALIZE THE 6 DOLLAR COFFEE IN STARBUCKS IS NOT MUCH BETTER THAN 2 DOLLAR COFFEE ELSEWHERE..I AM SURE NO SYMPATHIZER OF GAZA PALESTINIANS CAN AFFORD STARBUCKS COFFEE ANYWAY...

[@RoTelnCheese]

Lol Joe Bloggs expert knows more than a full time analyst for BofA 😅

[@bngr_bngr]

Why did you mention Gaza?

[@jamesandrew6153]

Facts!! When you can buy a bag of beans at the store for the same price! And the lines are always long which means it’s still a good company They need to do what chick fila did to keep lines moving

[@DG-2323]

I think (coffee) drink selection is wayyy less than it’s been historically, all I see are adverts for what look like sugary pink drinks, and if I want just a great tasting latte I have one sugar-free flavor to choose from and what seems like 3 sugar options. Having a customized, always interesting coffee option used to be a standard at Starbucks and it just feels like they’ve gone after a specific demographic that just clearly isn’t showing up for them. Get back to coffee, make it tasty and good, give me options that make me feel empowered as a consumer. And yes, hire more people, clean the stores up, and provide a better “coffee shop” experience, because on that front there are just countless better options in a city like NYC.

[@rssmith289]

Anytime I go into a Starbucks there is a line. I am greeted by a barista and when I pay there is a tip amount suggestion on the screen. I opt for Zero. Then, when I wait to get my drink, there is no one to call out my name, This specifically occurred at the overpriced Fashion Island, Newport Beach location. Oh, by the way, a simple "Thank You" would be appreciated. What this company does not understand is that I am choosing to spend my money there. Good thing was that visit was only occasional. But, the same thing happens at the Starbucks Adelanto, Ca location and the San Juan Capistrano location. I'll stop in just to use their bathrooms. To the Starbucks mucky-mucks: lower your prices, improve the service and you might be able to have your customers back. Customers don't want new and exciting things amid this horrible inflation!

[@MatthewMS.]

Starbucks worked for a certain time and didn’t do anything different for a very long time, just inflated cost. It’s possibly done. I just wrote my thoughts on the CEO on a related video. They have some troubles ahead.

[@reggie2261]

It’s inflation nothing else stay away from this stock no longer a star it’s starbust

[@garrisonsimon]

I totally agree

[@smartdoguk]

Ppl in uk 🇬🇧 just don’t like being rip off for coffee No way I am paying 5 EUR for coffee

[@user-mt7uk6xn4e]

There is coffee tasting like water, and all that money water down coffee.

[@PeterSedesse]

The problem is all Starbucks ever really had was the brand. There was never anything great about the coffee, and definitely not the food. It was just a yuppie thing to do. Once you lose the brand, it is just overpriced coffee.

[@utek66]

$5 for a black coffee, and half the time, not even hot.

[@whereisjustice5112]

Starbucks will become like Nokia.

[@johnjohn-gt4eg]

they will close down permanently

[@Viv8ldi]

♥️

[@JAW242]

She misfired pretty bad

[@saedal-tamimi6053]

i like Dutch bros the are like the old Starbucks 😄

[@ameryasin9351]

Stop blaming Israel ruthless attack on Gaza the reason for Starbucks’s decline. Other than many issues, Starbucks has a cleaning issues. I have been to many locations recently, they are dirty, gave me a ghetto feeling beside they charge premium. In a recent visit I felt even unsafe at one of the location. The only thing they want at payment is a TIP.

[@alankooiker4653]

This women is clueless. Branding issues with the middle east???? $7 Coffee and a recession

[@freddyrodriguez4732]

lol…. She doesn’t know anything.

[@mr_five]

She gets paid 7 figures a year of course pricing is not a problem to her lol. So out of touch

[@GM4ThePeople]

"Sara Senatore" is an anagram for "Nose Area's Rat". o/

[@cap828]

AUTOMATION

[@ramsinbarkhoy302]

Clueless analyst!

[@drelove2010]

Yall just making up pricing lol it’s only about 3.45 for a cup of coffee, and I’m in the Bay Area before you ask where at. If you don’t patronize there then how do you know how much something is lol

[@mickeybeavison1053]

Go woke go broke

[@Wise__guy]

How is starbucks woke?

[@dimaimamatos9643]

The problem is, they aren't innovativing much with their flavors options. The menu is always bland, they throw a couple of temporary new things here and there but doesn't suffice. Also, fun items like the Dracula Halloween drink hasn't made a come back in years.