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Starbucks tries giveaway cards, self-serve to boost traffic

SEATTLE After giving away 8-ounce samples of its new Pike Place Roast coffee, Starbucks is trying to hook more patrons on the blend by offering free 12-ounce cups in select markets.

Inserts this week in the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and USA Today contained a wallet-sized “Brewed Coffee Card” good for a free 12-ounce cup of Pike Place Roast every Wednesday through May 28. Certain units also are providing the cards to patrons who buy cups of the new coffee, which Starbucks is positioning as the sort of milder blend that patrons might adopt as their usual morning choice.

The coffee chain is taking the new marketing tack as part of a larger effort to foster more customer traffic. As part of that push, Starbucks recently started testing a self-service option at selected units, the Bloomberg news service reported Friday. Patrons help themselves to brewed coffee, in some instances paying beforehand, in other cases paying afterward, the story indicated.

Inserts featuring the peel-off gift card for Pike Place Roast will appear in “several regional newspapers” during the next couple of weeks, a Starbucks spokeswoman said, but she declined to name them. Editor and Publisher, a website for newspaper executives, reported on its website that the insert will appear next week in the Chicago Tribune and its daily tabloid Red Eye edition, which targets younger consumers.

The Brewed Coffee Card contains pictures of Starbucks’ redesigned coffee cup, which features the chain’s legacy mermaid logo. Copy above the card reads, "Consider it a cup of thanks. Whether you’re a regular Starbucks customer or you've only stopped by once, we'd like to thank you."

Wording on the card also invites consumers to visit www.mystarbucksidea.com if they have suggestions for the chain. Early postings include a recommendation that the chain consider the addition of more small-sized pastries.

Starbucks introduced its new coffee blend Tuesday with a free sampling of 8-ounce cups at more than 7,000 units nationwide.

Separately, Starbucks is reportedly closing 45 grocery store units after deciding not to renew its license with Save Mart Supermarket and Lucky Supermarket. A spokeswoman said those units were not part of the 100 underperforming stores that Starbucks previously said it planned to close this year.

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