Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Starbucks Ethography

Commented:
Sarah


I chose to perform an ethnography on people who go to Starbucks. More specifically, why people go, and stay, at Starbucks. During my reseach time I wasn't quite sure what I was supposed to be looking for. I noted how many people entered, how old they were, if they stayed or not, how long they stayed, and what they did while they stayed. I also noted what kind of atmosphere the location had. The environment, I concluded was a main factor in why people stayed at Starbucks. The comfort of the chairs, usefulness of the tables, color of the walls, and the smell of coffee created an ambiance that these people enjoyed.
My observation notes were very different than the notes that must have been collected from the ethnography I chose to read (Never In Anger). I did not interact with the people in my study, but I would have liked to interview people to ask them why they enjoy staying at Starbucks to enjoy their coffee. I also wanted to interview the manager to learn how they interpret the environment they offer and what they do to foster an environment people want to stay in.

1 comment:

  1. From my personal experience of the Starbucks at northgate i have found that some of the chairs are more comfortable than others. I have heard that McDonalds purposefully makes their chairs uncomfortable in order to keep customers from taking up seats. As a coffee shop Starbucks wants people to be comfortable but at the same time they do not want to lose business because all of their seats are taken by people who refuse to leave.

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