“What did you have for lunch today? Then I recommend these coffee beans.”
Starbucks Reserve store employees often ask questions like this and recommend coffee. ‘Reserve’, a brand that Starbucks Korea first launched in 2014 to target the premium market, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Reserve stores have primarily functioned as shop-in-shops that coexist with regular stores. Recently, however, Starbucks has stepped up its game with a dedicated store that can emphasize Reserve’s specialty.
According to Starbucks on the 25th, there are currently 63 Starbucks Reserve stores nationwide. While the number of regular Starbucks stores is increasing every year, the number of Reserve stores is steadily decreasing. The number of stores, which started with 10 in the first year of opening, peaked at about 90 in 2019 and then declined to the current level.
The practice of sharing space with regular shops served as a factor in reducing the satisfaction of customers visiting Reserve. It is noted that coffee lovers who wanted to enjoy Reserve drinks in a special atmosphere by paying 1,000 to 5,000 won more than drinks at regular shops were often disappointed by the ambiguous atmosphere of the shop.
As a result, Starbucks decided to remain Reserve-only in order to create a space where it can fully deliver the coffee experience, which is also its brand identity. We are working on “brand repositioning” by changing the existing Reserve store opening strategy. Currently, there are three Reserve-only stores: ‘The Jeju Songdang Park R Branch’ on Jeju Island, ‘The Bukhangang R Branch’ in Namyangju, Gyeonggi-do, and ‘Ewha Womans University R Branch’ in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. A new Reservation-only store is also planned to open this year.
A Starbucks official said: “To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the launch of Reserve, we are working on repositioning to strengthen our brand competitiveness and expand differentiated customer experiences. We plan to continue to strengthen Reserve’s exclusive menus and personalized benefits and services for each customer.” he said.
Starbucks Reserve sells specialty coffee that is harvested in very small quantities around the world and can only be enjoyed for a limited time. Consumers can choose their own coffee beans and brewing method, so they can enjoy it according to their taste. All baristas working in Starbucks Reserve stores are experts who have completed ‘Coffee Master’, Starbucks’ coffee expert training program. Baristas who have also passed Starbucks’ global certification assessment personally select the coffee beans and brew them in 6 different ways.
Consumers can relax in a comfortable space and hear about the process of brewing a cup of Reserve coffee. At Reserve stores, you can also find specialty beverages in the Teavana, Physio and Blended categories that do not contain coffee. A Starbucks official explained, “We are providing a specialty coffee experience through the efforts of farmers to perfect the coffee, beans with diverse flavors, various extraction methods and the stories of the baristas.”
Although low-cost coffee franchises are doing well in the market, Starbucks’ position is strong. In the second quarter, the number of Starbucks stores nationwide was 1,937 and is expected to exceed 2,000 next year. An industry insider said, “Starbucks is the brand that has garnered the most loyal customers among coffee franchises,” adding, “In particular, the ‘R’ brand, which symbolizes Reserve stores, played an important role in captivating consumers who want to enjoy the luxurious coffee culture.”
Reporter Kim Seong-hoon hunhun@kmib.co.kr
