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Fair Trade has a new certification called Fair for Life that Seattle-based Theo Chocolate recently earned from the Institute for Marketecology. It looks at the entire supply chain, including Theo’s Seattle factory, to ensure that all of its farmer relationships and trade practices are equitable and responsible. Theo also likes that it’s saving money on certification fees. Rather than pay a Fair Trade group to use its logo, Theo can put more money toward technical assistance for cocoa farmers. Looks like a few coffee companies have joined the program, too.
This week’s story about a hidden camera at a Starbucks shop in San Diego reminded me of all the crazy crimes — stolen tip jars, cars crashing into storefronts, guns being pulled — that happen at Starbucks all over the country. I always wonder whether other chains experience these events. A StarbucksGossip.com reader discovered part of the answer by Googling a few lists of car crashes at big chains.
McDonald’s said today that its espresso program is adding 5,000 a year in sales to its typical U.S. store. Still, investors thumped the stock because June same-store sales were lower than Wall Street expected — sort of like Starbucks’ stock when it announced strong earnings on Wednesday but said it might not blow away analysts’ profit expectations for next year. Today, Barclays Capital cut its target price for Starbucks to from . It’s at .34 as I write.

The Seattle Times: Home