‘I just lost control,’ says Starbucks customer who called to complain about price increase to $6 – a ‘mocha guy’ is boycotting

INFLATION has led some consumers to reevaluate their favorite brands.

Some Starbucks fans complain about the chain’s prices.

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One of them recently told the BBC he “just lost it” on the phone with the company.

Andrew Buckley, who told the British broadcaster he was a “mocha guy,” had been buying coffee at Starbucks for decades.

The 50-year-old Idaho man said his order was a Venti Mocha.

Venti drinks are among Starbucks’ largest drinks, at an extra cost.

A recent price increase at his local cafe prompted him to call the company to complain.

He said his order shot up to about $6.

“It was the final straw that broke the camel’s back on my feeling of inflation in general. It’s like, ‘This is it. I can’t take it anymore’,” he told the BBC.

He said he wouldn’t return to the chain and now makes coffee at home.

Prices at Starbucks vary by location.

STARBUCKS STUMBLES

Starbucks executives said inflation-weary customers are impacting the company’s bottom line.

But high prices aren’t the only thing keeping some Starbucks customers away.

Financial reports show the company losing ground, with a 3% drop in sales in the second quarter of this year.

The chain faces labor and image problems as its workers push to unionize against the corporation’s wishes.

This led to union busting allegationswhich drove some customers away from the brand.

Starbucks sued its union, Starbucks Workers United, for posting a pro-Palestine message while using the chain’s name last year.

The post was removed, but the process continued.

The dispute prompted many pro-Palestinian protesters to call for a boycott of the store over its apparent support for Israel’s invasion of Gaza.

Starbucks has repeatedly expressed that it opposes violence against Israelis and Palestinians.

“Despite false statements spread across social media, Starbucks has never contributed in any way to any government or military operation,” the company said. he said.

PRICE PRESSURES

Inflation has cooled significantly since peaking in 2022.

Prices are still rising, however, with an overall increase of 0.3% in April, according to federal data.

May data should be released on June 12.

CPI and inflation explained

The Consumer Price Index is how the federal government measures inflation.

Every month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics shares its CPI numbers with breakdowns of which items have variable prices.

The CPI shows how much prices have risen or fallen over the previous 12 months.

The calculation process is complex, but it measures price variations for urban consumers, those who live or work in an American metropolitan area.

Although it does not cover everyone, it measures prices for around 90% of the population.

In California, Starbucks and other chains raised their prices in response to a new minimum wage law for fast food.

Some companies, like Walmart, have managed to reduce prices.