Starbucks is no longer the aspirational coffee cup and is slowly losing its crown.

In South East Asia, there was a time when if you drink Starbucks, that could mean your salary is higher than most people and you have a certain taste. It was not just a bitter liquid that boosted your day but also a status symbol. Yet recently something has shifted, with many chains offering more premium options, locations, and more aspiration style, Starbuck fades into just that coffee chain that serves fast coffee.

These days, Starbucks is being squeezed by %Arabica and Harland + Holden which offer more trendy and even exclusive experiences. Starbuck is simply no longer the king of premium coffee in South East Asia. While the price point of these three brands are similar, the exclusivity of the location of %Arabica adds a factor that screams, not everyone can even afford it.

Even for me, many asked me why I still love going to Starbucks despite its decline. These days with local chains all over serving better coffee, there was still something missing from all of them, the consistency of taste. It is still the place to go when you do not want to gamble with taste as well as a place to go for its generous discounts. Compared to chains like Kopi Kenangan and Tomoro for example, they do not offer as generous discounts and freebies as Starbucks. When it comes to taste, local chains still lack unity across its stores where the taste that we could get varies a lot.

With Starbucks also available in most rest areas around Java, that also dilutes the branding image of it. They are now just like how it is in the US, an everyday coffee, everyone could afford and somewhat tastes mediocre.

Now, why go to Starbucks when local chains do it better, have better places and at a lower price point? For regular customers, that is their consideration. In this economy, people would opt for more affordable options to also fuel their caffeine addiction.

And for me, I go there just to cash-in on my rewards and the freebies I get quite few times in a month. Other than that, I would opt for other places, more local or local chains.