New London Starbucks: Inside The Retailer's Posh Makeover (VIDEO)
Starbucks has opened a new outlet in London, which departs from the ubiquitous interior familiar to customers around the world (hat tip to BrandRepublic). With a focus on "coffee theater," new and lower coffee machines have been introduced so customers can have more interaction with their barista.
Design elements like Italian leather furniture, a Belgian industrial table and Welsh oak are part of the efforts to embed the neighborhood in the store. "We wanted to elevate the overall value of what Starbucks represents," Tim Pfeiffer, Starbucks senior vice president of global design, adds in the video below.
The U.K.'s Times Online reports that this is the first of 100 "individualized" stores that the Seattle coffee retailer has planned. One local resident interviewed by the Times wasn't convinced by the new interior:
Ken Smith, 40, a designer from Tyneside, said: "This won't change anything. Simply, the coffee is just much better at Costa. Starbucks is a big US brand and people who know coffee won't be fooled by the makeover..."
Check out the "bespoke" "library setting" Starbucks was going for. WATCH:
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First Posted: 03/18/10 06:12 AM ET Updated: 05/25/11 03:35 PM ET