Which Richmond Starbucks might go?

Written by Aaron Kremer

Wednesday, 02 July 2008 15:13

Yesterday Starbucks said it is going to close 600 stores around the country. There are at least 10 in Richmond. Click here for a map.

The company said it will close relatively new stores that have only been open since the beginning of fiscal 2006. Starbucks identified stores that were either not profitable or not projected to provide strong returns in the future.

Which ones seem slowest when you go in to get your fix? Any guesses which ones in Richmond might close? Plus, is this good for the locally-owned shops or is a harbinger of the coffee biz?

More reading: Starbucks to close 600 U.S. stores, cut 12,000 jobs, MarketWatch.

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written by Jeff, July 02, 2008

There are two others that aren't on the map (probably just not on GoogDar yet). The new one near Shockoe Slip and the one in The market at Tobacco Row in the bottom. The latter of which I think will be the one to go in Richmond. They wont take away robinson or VCU as they are insanely busy all the time. The one in The market at tobacco row has rather poor service and does not have the feel of a starbucks.

I'd say, at most, two more: one in henrico and another in chesterfield. i wont speculate on which, because, well, there are many and i have better things to do.

Most of the cuts Id suggest will be in the urban areas. Chicago, NY, LA, and HOUSTON, which seriously has a corner with three starbucks on it. those types of situations are the ones where Starbucks actually steals business from itself.

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written by john m, July 02, 2008

Starbucks was late to Richmond and slow to move. I'd be surprised if any of the city stores were closed; I dunno anything about the counties.

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first wifi and now...
written by RVA Foodie, July 02, 2008

Just went to a Starbucks with my laptop (Robinson St). No wifi. Actually, there were 10-15 wifi's but they were all password protected. The Starbucks brand wifi was from "Hotspot" and you had to buy a membership, otherwise it was $10 per "daypass." Is this new? Obviously a result of some efficiency expert who's helping them increase income and decrease friendliness.

Just the other day, I was saying that we're all about to have three spigots on our sinks: hot, cold, and Starbucks. It was a joke, but maybe that's a direction they should explore. I'd be happy for a "Doubleshot" dispenser. Tastes just like Vietnamese coffee.

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starbucks
written by jonah, July 04, 2008

The store you mentioned at the Market in Shockoe Bottom is not a company store. Those and the ones at Target, B&N and the like are not affected. I doubt many in Richmond will close, as the new ones here are doing well, but perhaps the proposed drive-thru in short pump will not open afterall and maybe the Starbucks at Bellgrade will close because the location is not great with a hard to get into parking lot, and another a short distance away.

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written by eddie, July 07, 2008

clearly shultz is making a serious effort to return starbucks to the order it was in 3-5 years ago. forever starbucks relied on the idea that so long as they were cannibalizing their own sales as well as staving off other entrants into the premium coffee business all was ok...this is not a way to sustain profitability.

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