Starbucks! Quality v. Quanity

Starbucks announced today another round of huge layoffs:  the closing of 400 additional stores in 2009 culminating in a loss of 6000 store jobs and 345 corporate / Seattle jobs. 

A friend of mine who owns a prominent and multi unit restaurant in Seattle.Tacoma mentioned over a beer tonight:  “Why did Starbucks have to concentrate on such massive expansion?  Why couldn’t they have concentrated more on just becoming better – on improving what they already had?”

Good question.  I don’t think it’s hindsight 20/20 either.  I think this was a very real question when they were announcing ridiculously high store opening goal #’s that were, in hindsight, embarrasing.  And now they are left with a product that is ok but hasn’t quite evolved with the velocity requisite with Starbucks track record.

Hopefully they can get back on track but they will have to weather this economic storm first.  They will.  But in what fashion and with how much strength they ascend is the real question.  Maybe then they can conectrate more on quality vs. quanity.