What decision(s) do you recommend?

Maybe you are one of the millions in the U.S. who starts the day with your favorite coffee drink from market leader Starbucks. If you are, the marketers there would like for you to come back in the afternoon for another cup of java or maybe a cold drink and a snack. To bring you in, they are offering new menu items, special promotions, and more experienced baristas to take your order.
Starbucks’ phenomenal growth has come in part from taking advantage of (and encouraging) what has become a morning ritual for many—a stop at the neighborhood Starbucks for that Mocha Frappuccino or vanilla latte. With more than 8,000 company-
owned stores in the U.S. and over 28,000 stores around the world, Starbucks is the clear leader in coffee. However, sales in existing U.S. stores (known as “same store” sales) have recently been below expectations and Starbucks marketers think that boosting sales in the afternoon may be a solution to their problem.
Starbucks does not publicize time-of-day statistics, but in 2010, a company executive said that 70 percent of the chain’s sales occur before 2 p.m. With experiments with beer and wine and special evening food menus, that percent has likely changed, but the afternoon opportunity is still significant. According to market research firm NPD Group, consumers make 5.4 billion visits to fastfood restaurants and coffee chains between the hours of roughly 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. each year—and spend about $27 billion.