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Date Posted: 11:37:54 02/16/03 Sun
Author: its all the anxiety August 13th 2002
Subject:

In reply to: I'm just going to email them for another cup 's message, "What happens is I'm up all night drinking coffee--at Starbucks" on 11:31:05 02/16/03 Sun

Second Cup going smart?

Signs up at Second Cup outlets in Mtl announce the imminent demise of a treasured tool in every caffeine addict's toolbox: The buy-10, get one free punchcard.
The signs at the 29 local outposts of the nation's largest fancy hot java empire are short on details but promise to redeem a coffee for every card turned in before the deadline.
Maybe I'm being overly conspiratorial -- I blame the ozone, myself -- but it occurs to me this surprise move might be leading up to the introduction of a Second Cup coffee SmartCard.
Introduced by industry giant Starbucks last November, the SmartCard has been a hit, with 4 million sold by March. Like a copy card from university days, the card can be juiced up with presold black juices and swiped at the counter. No fuss, no muss, no bother, goes the corporate propaganda.
(No, this story aint the most newsworthy event today; gimme a break. I blame the ozone.)
Introducing a SmartCard would allow Second Cup to argue that it is not retiring a popular bargain with customers, as it could program the 11-for-the-price-of-10 into the card.
From the point of view of Starbucks bean counters (sorry), the card has numerous advantages: Advance sales; quicker check-out; data-mining of customers drinking habits ("Why is it Mr Milloy always has a triple espresso with whipped cream monday morning?") and the inevitable easy profit from cards lost or never redeemed.
But the card probably won't be popular with the wage slaves behind the counter at Second Cup if what happened to Starbucks' baristas happens here. Tips are down, way down, according to this report in Seattle's alt-weekly, The Stranger.
Ironically, the SmartCard is not for sale nor redeemable at any of Starbucks' eight Montreal outlets. "Half the stuff you get in Starbucks in other places you can't get here," explained the originally-from-Vancouver barista who answered the phone at the Ste-Catherine's Street location. "I guess Starbucks won't make them bilingual. Quebec is just, like, another country."

Comments

Campus cards these days roll your identification, photocopy card, library card, gym membership, dorm key (?!) and on-campus food "debit card" into one slab o'plastic. My guess is that Second Cup's SmartCard will eventually allow customers to buy other products with the company's partners and affiliates. Before you know it, we'll be using all-purpose "smart cash" cards for everything. Or wearing a barcode on our foreheads. :)
Posted by Donna at August 21, 2002 04:12 PM

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