By Vivian Louie
From a single storefront in Seattle’s Pike Place Market in 1971, Starbucks has come a long way to become a name brand everyone has grown to know and love. Located in seventy countries, with 24,000 stores worldwide, Starbucks has won people over across the world with its unique and authentic coffee and wide food selection. But with more local coffee shops and competition with other name brand companies like Dunkin Donuts and McDonald’s, Starbucks could be in trouble. But how has Starbucks been able to sustain global success, while maintaining their own coffee culture? One answer is their seasonal beverages and sandwiches which play with the hearts of Starbucks lovers everywhere. They combine the flavors that many people love with a unique twist to them. Another answer is their successful social media marketing strategy. With its inclusion into the app world in 2011, the Starbucks mobile app has allowed millions of people to order coffee on their smartphone and pick it up at a nearby Starbucks restaurant. What’s interesting is that Starbucks has recently tested a new way for people to enjoy coffee on the go, without leaving the comforts of their car. With curbside pickup, baristas would deliver the order similarly to how the fast food burger establishment, Sonic, would - minus the rollerblades! You would place your order on the app, choose a pick up location for their order, and then a barista would come to your car and hand the order to you. This is just a trial run to see how this idea would do in the real world, so sadly the only location where curbside pickup is in is in Snoqualmie, Washington. But do you think this is a good idea? Curbside pickup has been shown to have mixed results. It has done well for stores like Walmart and CVS, but has failed for Target. Keep watching Starbucks to see if they are successful with this new idea.
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By Kristen Townend
Over the past five years, Indonesia’s economy saw a constant decline. Exports fell, infrastructure spending was low, and the rising cost of imported materials made it difficult to boast competitive prices. Amid the record lows, many labeled China and Singapore the best prospects for future growth. However, Indonesia’s growth rate for the second quarter of 2016 exceeded expectations, and was its highest rate in ten quarters. The 5.18% economic growth figure surprised experts, who had predicted a 5% increase. The ascent, as small as it may be, is forecasted to continue, allowing Indonesia to rival other Asian economies. Along with its turnaround growth rate, Indonesia boasts many valuable aspects for investors. The country has low inflation, and while inflation was above seven percent in mid-2015, in 2016 it has declined from around 4.5% to about 3.05%. Indonesia also has a high life expectancy and a growing population in which the average age is under 30 years old. Future growth will be supported by the innovative youth of the country, and this youth factor is especially notable when compared to the aging populations of many other countries. The government has also approved tax reforms, bringing sizeable revenue into the country from overseas through tax amnesty. Additionally, Indonesia appointed a new finance minister who previously worked at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This action will provide a greater capacity for the implementation of informed economic and financial decisions in the future. Analysts still stress the need for increased private investment in Indonesia, as well as the maintenance of high household consumption to propel the economy. Though factors such as low commodity prices around the world could keep growth around 5%, many are optimistic about Indonesia’s potential in Asia, and believe that steady improvements can outweigh the unpredictability. Book by Gretchen Rubin
By Alyssa J Freitas “I am an Upholder,” Gretchen Rubin declared when I heard her speak about her then new book in the Summer of 2015 at a Random House event. When I first heard Rubin discuss her book Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits - to Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life, I was intrigued by her categorization of people with respect to their ability and inclination to adopt habits. As the author of the wildly successful The Happiness Project, Rubin has made it her mark as a student of human nature to offer advice and examples of how to harness the principles she uncovers in your own life. What are these principles? And what is the story with the term “Upholder”? In her book, Rubin explores what she calls “The Four Tendencies” regarding how people respond to making and keeping habits. “Upholders” meet both outer and inner expectations (think your Type-A friend) while “Rebels” resist outer and inner expectations. You also have “Questioners” who will resist outer expectations (unless they think there is a good reason) while upholding inner expectations. Lastly there are the “Obligers” who will meet outer expectations, but will resist inner ones. According to Rubin, once you identify your tendency you can use the most appropriate and effective principles to form and keep beneficial habits. Rubin makes it very clear that this is not a book about what (what habits to form, what set methods you must use), but rather about how (how to change your habits based on your natural inclinations) to change. She makes her points through personal illustrations and consistently calls on her friends and family to learn more about what motivates all types of people. While some examples are compelling, overall there is a lack of relevance and applicability. Perhaps you will relate to one or two illustrations, but there are numerous anecdotes for each point that are unnecessary. Often, a book will say in 300 pages what could have been said in 100. If you are incredibly curious about habit formation, enjoy this read. If you are looking for the essential points or have a particular topic of interest, check out her podcast instead at http://gretchenrubin.com/podcast/. By Jon Sheridan
The online car service platform, Uber, constructed the coffin for the taxi industry overnight. The alternative taxi service has gained tremendous popularity and continues steady growth, now servicing 198 cities in the U.S. Founded in 2009, Uber is generating incredible sales, close to giants such as Facebook and Twitter. In the first half of 2015 alone, the firm generated revenues of $1.5 Billion. The ugly truth behind Uber’s financials is that the firm has yet to generate an income: How is it that Uber is not profitable? Uber accounts its high costs to wages, meaning it is spending a large portion of its revenues to the drivers it employs. Losses have expanded to be on track for nearly $2 Billion for Fiscal 2015. It’s no wonder people are starting to question how profitable such a platform could be. In order to continue to be competitive in a field where Lyft has eaten up nearly 15% of Uber’s market share in only three years, Uber may have to take a page out of another firm’s playbook. Tesla, Apple, and Google have been the forgers and pioneers of a driverless automobile. They can be considered the holy trinity of autonomous travel, if you will. Think Will Smith in iRobot. That’s right, a car that drives itself. These three tech giants have been pouring money into projects for self-driving cars, making for a 1960s-like Arms Race. But instead of Russia versus the United States the war is raging across Silicon Valley. Rather than being the first to get a man on the moon, these tech giants are trying to be the first to get a man out of a car. Or at least be the first to do it successfully. While these firms are making headlines, it is Uber, not another tech giant, that needs a driverless car right now. While the firm may be able to drop costs by eliminating the costs of paying drivers, the real profit may come from a place no one would expect. Just as Uber was able to swallow the taxi industry out of nowhere, the firm may have its crosshairs directed on another sector. I now introduce to you Uber Logistics. With the largest interconnected federal highway system in the world as its playground, Uber could begin servicing retailers in the U.S. with driverless trucks. It looks like Uber CEO, Travis Kalanick, may have this same idea in mind. In early 2016 Uber purchased the firm, Otto (which employs 91 individuals who formerly worked for Google, Tesla, Apple, and other tech firms) which specializes in developing driverless trucks. Combined with announcing a $300 million research budget with Volvo, the two plan to make driverless Uber cars a reality by some time in 2021 (only servicing Pittsburgh). The incentive of driving earnings to the green could be the catapult that makes this Jetsons like fantasy self-driving vehicles a reality. |