Has Starbucks been thinking a bit too far outside the bun…er, cup? It makes you wonder…what are they really selling? Do they need a “value menu?”

“When a product becomes indistinguishable from others like it and consumers buy on price alone, it becomes a commodity.”

Are they branching out to compete with truck-stop coffee? Where does this end? Does this cheapskate cup of joe bring in some desirable new demographic? Like those who don’t like espresso, and don’t want to drop $3 or more on some kind “specialty coffee?”

Or, does it siphon off profits, as some regular patrons will prefer the cheap jolt? And doesn’t it dilute the brand image? Or are there simply so many locations that Starbucks has become like Dell? Nothing more than a commodity. The Taco Bell of coffee. While it’s true that Starbucks sells more than coffee—or at least did…it’s ambience and the experience that really set them apart to begin with. Now it’s price.

Maybe this does lowbrow the “third place” atmosphere—but maybe it will bring in enough new blood to convert into latte and mocha aficionados and make sense. Maybe it’s a PR masterstroke!

And Velocity’s take on this?

“It appears to be a test, a strategic move—albeit against the grain. Although plenty of companies have grown marketshare by dumping products, so it’s not unheard of. Surely it’s a step away from their original brand positioning.

“I think it’s the visible maturation of the inevitable. The sprawling tentacular reach of the ubiquitous Starbucks presence ends up squeezing upon itself. Kinda like Dell.

…Um…let’s see…I’m pretty sure we’d prefer a double ristretto. And a Mac.”