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Master strategists overseeing the nation's coffee wars will likely be pouring over the results of a recent independent study that finds those who get their (ever fancier) morning cup of joe from McDonald's are more loyal to the Golden Arches than coffee drinkers who visit rivals Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts.
As the Wall Street Journal reports, an independent market research firm surveyed 15,000 customers. Of those that frequent either Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts most often for their daily brew, 53 percent said that they also sneak off to other competing chains during the course of a month, while only 29 percent of respondents who identified McDonald's as their primary source of hot java said the same.
"We found that there's a fair amount of visits driven by customers that go to more than one chain and these are the heaviest users in the marketplace, going at least three or four times per week," Dave Jenkins, co-founder of CustomersDNA, the research firm that conducted the study, told the Journal. "Getting that customer to come one more time to [your] restaurant and one less to [your] competitor's is how the battle will be won or lost."
In other words, if McDonald's can keep picking off customers from other chains while keeping its loyal fans happy, it could end up being as well known for its mocha frappes as it has been for its Happy Meals.
The study didn't try to figure out why McDonald's coffee drinkers were more loyal, but the fact that you can still get a basic cup of coffee there for a buck might have something to do with it.
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4-14-2011 @2:25PM Cyn said... Of course we are loyal! Fancy Coffee? Sold! and a $1 soda? Sold! and a meal that comes with a toy? Sold!
Honestly for me it's the variety, and the convenience. I can take my husband and kids, and we can all have whatever we want.
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4-17-2011 @7:49AM Molly said... I hardly think standard grade coffee doctored to taste like candy, qualifies as coffee. America has too much of a love affair with sugar and fats. The same can be said for salads and vegetables, all hidden under a mountain of calories laden with chemicals that are meant to be addicting additives.
4-14-2011 @3:19PM Greg said... Kind of a pointless study. Both chains are fast food outlets, and loyalty means nothing without profits.
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4-15-2011 @9:48AM gobo said... Yep, folks like cheap, low-grade fake-fancy coffee.
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4-15-2011 @8:53PM SIMPLY ME said... GABO YOUR WRONG AS USUAL. MCK DS COFFE AND SPECIALTY COFFEES MUCH BETTER QUALITY THAN STARBUCKS AND YOUR AVERAGE RESTAURANTS AND BETTER PRICE WISE WHICH MAKES IT MORE AFFORDABLE DAY TO DAY BASICS.
4-15-2011 @9:04PM gobo said... Thank you for your opinion, Simply Me. You don't have to attack people or type in all-caps to make yourself heard. Who's "gabo"?
4-16-2011 @10:06PM boomer said... gabo,
I tend to agree with simply me on this one. Pertaining to the coffee, that is. Not to your childish tirade concerning personal attacks in all caps.
4-16-2011 @10:38PM gobo said... boomer, who's "gabo"? I'm so confused. And since when is asking someone not to be insulting "childish"? I think you need to relax.
4-17-2011 @11:07AM Susan said... I agree with you, Gobo. I'm constantly amazed at the swill people drink that is supposedly coffee. No body. No quality. It's just brown water. We don't care for Starbucks too much but when we're not home where we can't drink the coffee we make ourselves with decaf beans we dark roast ourselves, it will do. The rest? Well, it looks like it came out of a toilet and is tasteless. I personally like coffee that has REAL flavor, from single-estate beans, brewed in a French manner or as expresso.
4-17-2011 @11:11AM gobo said... Thanks, Susan. I very much agree. Where I live, in Boston, everyone loves Dunkin' Donuts coffee... which to me tastes like dishwater. But on the other hand, you've got Starbucks, who have a tendency to over-roast their beans for their signature "char" flavor, which many people consider "sophisticated". That's why I usually go for an Americano if I go there, or better yet, a coffee from their awesome Clover machines. That's a great cup of coffee.
4-17-2011 @11:18AM Susan said... Gobo, We get amazing coffee at home this way:
Since we don't do caffeine, I buy some great single-estate decaf beans from a Maui estate, roast it on the high/dark roast in the iRoast2 machine. Then of course, you have to let it 'cure' for 24 hours. Then we make cup-by-cup using an Incanto Sirius 2, and dark / short cup settings. Unbelievable.
We're all about quality, not quantity so anything from those fast food joints is awful. As I said, when traveling, Starbucks is passable only. My husband makes his own, and puts it in a thermal cup when he leaves to play golf, and I send our beans with him to his office as well, so he makes it his way there.
Oh, and we live in S. FL.
4-17-2011 @11:38AM gobo said... Sounds terrific, Susan -- I use the Aeropress at home, and love it. So simple!
4-15-2011 @9:45PM john said... McDonalds Coffee drinks can be quite good, except when they pump way to much caramel syrup, etc into the drink and it is sickening sweet. Better training and stick to the specs of the recipe! Of course when you're in a hurry and go thru the drive thru, you don't have time to go back and have them make it over. Starbucks is more consistant but not perfect either. I've found the smaller Starbucks locations in supermarkets, Target, etc. make better drinks than the full sized stores
overall. This has proved true for me over a wide variety of locations. Maybe it's just because they are not as busy and take more time to make each drink.
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4-17-2011 @10:42PM Lars said... "Master strategists overseeing the nation's coffee wars will likely be pouring over the results ..."
poring
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4-15-2011 @10:04PM Billy G said... It's a price war. Grocery outlets, mini marts, and convenient stores will always win. Add a drive thru or all night service and there you have it. People rather pay at the most $2 or $3 for LARGE coffee then $5 or $6 for a smaller "venti"... Quality, if brewed right, it's hard to tell... so why pay more
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4-18-2011 @10:55PM KRS10 said... Hi Billy,
Actually a large (venti) Starbucks hot coffee is around $2 depending on tax , standard large latte is around $4 without any syrup flavoring.
4-16-2011 @2:04AM lecturehall1 said... More people may be loyal to McDonalds, but who study and read at the local McDonald's? McDonalds do not have a good environment for chatting, studying and reading.
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4-17-2011 @12:10AM Mea said... Actually Mcdonald's does have a lot of spots for reading and socializing. they have redone most of their stores to be more hang-out friendly and their coffee is as good as Starbucks without the high price.
4-17-2011 @8:30AM Pamela said... My granddaughter and I go to the Starbucks in Barnes and Noble. We sip delicious beverages and enjoy yummy snacks while reading, computing, and of course, buying great books. It's a perfect outing for us.
4-16-2011 @2:48AM mikemaj82 said... McDonald's coffee is good...when the employees actually make it right.
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