Comments on: Starbucks mitosis

By: Clammy

Clammy — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 03:11:06 +0000

Hey, there may be some homeostasis going on, in addition to the mitosis. A new Starbucks just opened in my neighborhood a couple weeks ago (this would make 4 in a 5-minute walking radius, in addition to the other (literally!!) two dozen coffee shops in the same area).

And then this happened!

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/02/13/vancouver-blast.html?ref=rss

By: Eunomiac

Eunomiac — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:09:57 +0000

On behalf of all Canadians, may I please invite you into a Tim Horton’s the next time you’re in Canada? They don’t over-roast their beans, and will actually put milk/cream/sugar into your coffee FOR you.

Remember: You’ve always got time for Tim Horton’s.

By: David

David — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 21:15:03 +0000

Mikel wrote:

Second, businesses can open wherever local governments will allow them to open. Starbucks could not operate in those locations without permission, so you were apologizing for no reason.

I know nothing of Vancouver or of Starbucks’ practice, but one issue is that large corporations can use their muscle to get a favourable deal from local government, which allows them to squeeze competitors on price. That said, Starbucks don’t strike me as cheap so it doesn’t seem plausible in this case.

I agree with Dunc: we shouldn’t build society and legislate on the basis of theories that assume people take rational decisions as defined by utility theory.

By: Stuart

Stuart — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 12:11:00 +0000

Silly Phil! Of course Quiet Desperation and Evolving Squid didn't see the humour. You should have expected it. After all, it is impossible for the religious to see the humour in anything that pokes fun of their religion. And the "The Free Market Solves All Problems" branch of the "Capitalism über Alles!" church is especially humourless.

By: CR

CR — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 07:52:46 +0000

Um, I was MOSTLY kidding about the McDonalds thing way back, in the spirit of the joke this thread originally started with. I thought McD’s was everywhere, but it seems like Starbucks is even moreso, hence the original “Geez, and I thought McDonalds world takeover was bad…” Get it? Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha… um… ha. Sigh. OK, this is why I don’t do stand-up comedy.

Anyway, I like JanieBelle’s expansion on why McD’s is bad. (Funny pic!)

Just some random disclaimers and thoughts on a more serious note, though…

I don’t go to places I don’t like, and McD’s happens to be one of them. Hence the ‘MOSTLY’ in my point above.

I do dislike heavy advertising to the point of saturation; the more advertising, the more likely I am to be turned off. You can imagine how effective political campaigns are with me, then.

I’d hate to see the free market become monopolistic. Ironic, that… companies outcompete other companies, growing bigger to the point where they can buy out those they don’t outcompete, and eventually, there’s no competition. And thus, no free market. BUT could that really happen in real life? Would that really happen in real life? I mean could it, would it happen that completely? (Side note: I recently heard someone ask why, instead of a free market economy, we don’t have a fair market economy, but I believe it was in reference to health insurance.)

Oh, finally, I don’t drink coffee. Can’t stand it in any form: plain, flavored, whatever. Never have. Yuck.
On behalf of myself, I don’t apologize for that.

By: A.J. (the bad biologist)

A.J. (the bad biologist) — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 01:54:06 +0000

Auckland: New Zealand
Near my University there are 6 starbucks. Each one less than 500 feet from another starbucks.
Trust me, it’s not just a canadian thing.

By: Bill

Bill — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 00:13:08 +0000

Phil,

You found the other end of the universe:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9iMgSNrwv4