Here’s some great news for coffee lovers: Starbucks is set to outshine its rivals with a new pricing strategy. Starting May 10, Starbucks has reduced the prices of bagged coffee by 10 percent. The price of a 12-ounce bag of coffee has gone down from $9.99 to $8.99. This price change applies only to the U.S. market. While single-serve coffee packets are not included, this move is seen as a strong effort to stay ahead of the competition. (For more strategies to stay ahead, click here.)
America is known for its “melting pot culture,” but some might argue it should really be called a coffee pot culture instead. It might sound odd, but most Americans can’t resist a cup of coffee, as 54% of them drink at least one cup each day.
Using a defensive product pricing strategy is common among big companies, but what triggered the coffee industry leader to make this strategic decision? Starbucks spokesman John Olson told Bloomberg News that the price cut “allow us to both enhance the value that we’re providing our existing packaged-coffee customers, and hopefully increase the frequency in which they purchase Starbucks and Seattle’s Best coffee, as well as attract new customers.”
This strategic decision also helps them beat the competition, including Dunkin’ Donuts, Folgers and Maxwell. But how does their product pricing strategy fit into Starbuck’s plan for long-term success?
While they may be a leader in the coffee industry and control several times more market share than any of their competitors, Starbucks knows that they’re still vulnerable. This product pricing strategy decision to lower prices comes after Maxwell House, Folgers, Dunkin’ Donuts and Millstone coffee dropped their prices on packaged coffee earlier this year. Starbucks realizes that at-home coffee brewing, along with the popularity of the Keurig system, is only growing stronger. They needed to reevaluate their pricing strategy if they want to continue to beat the competition and align with consumer behaviors.
Like any company, Starbucks relied on market and competitive intelligence to determine their product pricing strategy. Examining competitors’ current prices and when they changed, as well as sharing this information quickly, helped Starbucks make a decision shortly after competitors lowered their prices this past February. Without using competitive intelligence software to monitor pricing changes and market trends, companies like Starbucks wouldn’t be able to capture or distribute this data to decision makers when it mattered. In the end, Starbucks quickly responded to their competitors’ moves and made a proactive decision.
There are many ways to implement data management and competitive intelligence software to a company’s department functions. To learn how to gain a competitive advantage using business intelligence and competitor monitoring software in your department, download clearCi’s helpful competitive guides.
What do you think? How else can Starbucks continue to be a market leader?