Gingerbread Latte, no whip, full holiday press

I’m on my last pre-sabbatical travel flurry, and quite nearby my place on O‘ahu there is a Starbucks raking in my money.

I don’t mind one bit.

They deserve it.

They’re making me feel like Christmas. The red cup thing, being able to get a gingerbread latte, their retail merchandising, the catchy music of the newest Christmas CD they are selling, even their signage. The red, white, and green everywhere – the whole experience.

Yes, I know it is merchandising at its finest, but I can’t be cynical about it. I admire it. With what I know about retail (dabbled in it – great part of my work history) I love the thought that they had to plan in advance for us in their planning and their marketing, that to be ready for us they had to work at making all this happen months ago.

When I walk in the door there, I get this feeling from everything, as if they were saying these words;

Please come in, and have some coffee.

We knew you’d be coming.

We wanted to be ready for you; we’ve worked hard at it.

We wanted to surround you with everything festive.

The holidays may have snuck up on you,

But we had to be sure we were ready, no matter what.

This is important to you,

So it’s important to us.

All of it. All of the little things and big things.

All of the trappings that make it worth coming here for the coffee.

We know you count on us, and we won’t let you down.

Is it any wonder they are so successful?