You have hit the nail on the head. Starbucks sold its soul for additional profits, and people suddenly decided that it was no longer cool. Case in point: the Grocery Store Kiosks. These kiosks have an advantage over the traditional Starbucks Cafe, as they are owned by the grocery store, and Starbucks is paid by the store for the kiosk. What is amazing, is that the idiots who ran Starbucks were so greedy, they honestly felt that they would not water-down the Starbucks product by making Starbucks so common, that it become nothing more than an over-priced Dunkin' Donuts. If I were Starbucks, I would get out of these Grocery Store kiosks completely, get rid of the machines and other automated kiosks. Face it, Starbucks is about to hit the ramp to jump the shark, and instead of trying to get off the ramp, Starbucks merely decided to kick of a ski and jump slalom style. I have a feeling that short-term cash/revenue needs trumped long-term success strategies. So, instead of becoming that coffee house we want to hang out in, it has decided that smoothies are the ticket. Yeah...greaaat idea. I mean, nothing makes me feel more as if I am in my third place than a cafe which serves smoothies to high schoolers who hate the taste of coffee. But then again - what is ironic is the # of individuals who go to Starbucks, consider themselves coffee aficionados and order what is essentially a milkshake with an espresso shot.