Starbucks in Spain

Summary

“To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time” (Our Starbucks Mission Statement). Starbucks is one of the largest coffee shops in the world. “The history of Starbucks starts in Seattle in 1971. Three friends, Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker, who all had a passion for fresh coffee, opened a small shop and began selling fresh coffee, gourmet coffee beans, and brewing and roasting accessories.” (History of Starbucks) Now they have over 17,000 coffee shops in more than 55 countries. Starbucks is known for their premium coffee, they believe in serving high quality coffee in a friendly environment with welcoming employees. Starbucks does not limit itself to serving premium coffee, but also offer other beverages, fresh food, and merchandise. Their menu includes brewed coffee, espresso beverages, frapuccino beverages, teas and smoothies: Their food options include hot breakfasts, salads, sandwiches, wraps, panini, ice cream, and yogurt parfaits: Starbucks also offers coffee-brewing equipment, mugs, packaged goods, books, music, and other gift items. Since this project is all about international marketing, we decided to research how Starbucks does business in Spain.

Cultural Analysis/Economics

Relevant Country History

Spain’s history dates back to 206 B.C. when it became part of the Roman Empire, but that is not an essential part to our research. Our research starts in the 19th century, when the Spanish colonies revolted for their independence in the western hemisphere. A major turning point was the Spanish-American War in 1898, when Spain lost Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines to the United States. That was a great fall for Spain, in which the country had to proceed with the defeat. Then came the Spanish Civil War in 1936, which was caused by all the violence from the electoral victory. In 1953, Spain signed the Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement with the Unites States after the...