Chapter 11 - Developing and Managing Products

Developing new products and to be up to date plays a crucial role in today's rapidly moving business world. Innovation is the key of developing new products. Starbucks is considered as the most developing company in the specialized coffee industry. Starbucks provides its customers with new exciting beverages, food items and a unique store experience throughout the year. Coffee is nothing new to the world, and basically all the items Starbucks offers do exist already. But nevertheless, Starbucks makes it happen to update their own company to a overall new experience by creating new product lines, adding new products to existing product lines, improving or revisions of existing products, re-positioning products and innovating customer experience.

Over the thanksgiving period Starbucks brought out a “Thanksgiving Blend” roast to enter the established market of "light blend" coffee drinkers. The coffee house adds new products to its products lines throughout the year. For example, Starbucks extends its line every season by introducing specific seasonal drinks such as the caramel cream brulee or pumpkin spice latte.

The Starbucks ready brew instant coffee is one of Starbucks improvements of already existing products. "Other instant coffees taste flat and lifeless. Starbucks VIA® Ready Brew is different – it’s full-bodied and flavorful, just like the Starbucks® coffee you know and love."  Starbucks guarantees the innovative quality of its instant coffee by promising a packet of the traditional house blend in case of dissatisfaction.

Starbucks has been constantly introducing new products. However, in Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz opinion Starbucks was not always innovating new products.