INFLATION has pushed some consumers to re-evaluate their favorite brands.
Some Starbucks fans are complaining about the chain’s prices.
![Starbucks prices have gone up amid inflation and sluggish sales](https://www.the-sun.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/06/2003-new-york-city-seattle-868772095.jpg)
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One recently told the BBC he “just lost it” on the phone with the company.
Andrew Buckley, who told the British broadcaster that he was a “mocha guy,” had been buying coffee at Starbucks for decades.
The 50-year-old Idaho man said his order was a Venti Mocha.
Venti drinks are among the largest at Starbucks, costing extra.
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A recent price hike at his local cafe led him to call corporate to complain.
He said his order shot up to around $6.
“It was the straw that broke the camel’s back on my feelings of inflation in general. It’s like, ‘That’s it. I can’t do it anymore,’” he told BBC.
He said he would not go back to the chain, and he now brews coffee at home.
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Prices at Starbucks vary by location.
STARBUCKS STUMBLES
Starbucks executives have said inflation-weary customers are impacting the company’s bottom line.
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But high prices are not the only thing driving some customers away from Starbucks.
Financial reports show the company losing ground, with a 3% decline in sales during the second quarter of this year.
The chain is facing labor and image problems as its workers push to unionize against the wishes of the corporation.
That’s led to allegations of union-busting, which have turned some customers off the brand.
Starbucks sued its union, Starbucks Workers United, for posting a pro-Palestine message while using the chain’s name last year.
The post was removed, but the suit continued.
The dispute led many pro-Palestinian protesters to call for a boycott of the store for their apparent support of Israel’s invasion of Gaza.
Starbucks has repeatedly expressed that it opposes violence against Israelis and Palestinians alike.
“Despite false statements spread through social media, Starbucks has never contributed to any government or military operation in any way,” the company said.
PRICE PRESSURES
Inflation has cooled significantly since it peaked in 2022.
Prices are still rising, however, with an increase overall of 0.3% in April, according to federal data.
Data for May is expected to be released on June 12.
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CPI and Inflation explained
The Consumer Price Index is how the federal government measures inflation.
Every month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics shares its CPI numbers with detailed breakdowns of which items have changing prices.
The CPI shows the amount prices rose or fell over the previous 12 months.
The calculation process is complex, but measures the changes in price for urban consumers, those living or working in an American metropolitan area.
While that does not cover everyone, it measures prices for about 90% of the population.
In California, Starbucks and other chains hiked their prices in response to a new fast food minimum wage law.
Some companies, like Walmart, have managed to cut prices.