Unlearning Starbucks

The most interesting news is often found in the smallest articles. Buried deep inside today’s Wall Street Journal is a tiny article entitled Starbucks Tests Stealth Outlet. Apparently, in an effort to boost lagging sales, the mega-coffee chain is conducting an interesting test. It is dropping it’s name from a local Seattle store and replacing it with a name that “more closely resembles a corner coffee shop.” Aside from the blatant manipulation that we have to come to expect from multi-national corporations, I respect the idea because it at suggests the company is actively engaging in unlearning.