What will happen to the old Starbucks signs?

March 2, 2011 8:32 PM

What will happen to the old Starbucks signs when the new logo is put in place later this month? Is there anyway I could get one?

If all of the Starbucks are going to be switching the signs to make room for the new logo, than will they simply be throwing the old ones out? Has anyone worked in a store in which a similar event occurred? If so, would my local Starbucks be willing to give/sell it to me?

posted by grimace636 to Shopping (9 answers total)

In my experience when a store goes through rebadging, the sign company hauls off the old sign.
posted by birdherder at 8:37 PM on March 2, 2011

There's a bunch of them on e-Bay. Example.
posted by carmicha at 8:45 PM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

Write them and ask for one:

Starbucks Corporate Offices
2401 Utah Avenue South, Suite 800
Seattle, WA 98134 USA

You stand a good chance of being surprised.
posted by cjorgensen at 8:59 PM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

Per corporate, the two logos will coexist for a while. Ebay is your best bet right now, considering total rebadging is unlikely to happen on a major scale anytime soon.
posted by Hwin at 10:30 PM on March 2, 2011

In my experience when a store goes through rebadging, the sign company hauls off the old sign.

This is usually true. Ask the guys on the truck if you can just take it or follow them back to their shop and ask there. It will probably be headed for the dumpster.
posted by buzzv at 2:20 AM on March 3, 2011 [1 favorite]

Thirding talk to the sign company -- national chains generally use local sign companies to do the work, and the sign itself probably even has a sticker or label on it identifying who to call if its broken, but probably in a less-visible spot. Just calling local sign companies and asking if they handle Starbucks would probably help you find the right place, too. When they take the sign away it might not be a 'free for all' -- the Starbucks still paid for the sign and are probably still rightful owners. The sign will probably go to a 'sign graveyard' where the sign company can pull parts off it, but if you can make friends with the sign company, they have no need for the plastic 'sign' insert anymore, and they don't have anything from Starbucks forbidding them from selling it, you might be able to buy it off them.
posted by AzraelBrown at 5:10 AM on March 3, 2011

Best answer: I got a sign from another retail establishment the way buzzv recommended: I asked the truck driver/sign installer what they were going to do with the old sign. He said, "We have 10,000 of them and we're gonna throw them away. Want one?".
posted by brownrd at 5:16 AM on March 3, 2011

The new promotion, to my knowledge is not indefinite. We just had company meeting at my store last night, and I know that in terms of aprons and in-store signage, we're only required to promote the new logo for a set schedule. Meanwhile rather than wasting billions of cups, we're integrating old and new during the change-over, and so while it is an eventual phase-out, the sentimental logo is still going to be welcome for quite a while. That said, I know that different stores definitely fudge stuff like that all the time (I just happen to work for a particularly meticulous one) I would start asking stores, see if they have a plan for it. Different stores may have different answers- you might just get lucky.

Other than that, definitely get thee to ebay. Out-dated Starbucks stuff goes for a fortune though depending on the rarity of the item.
posted by billypilgrim at 3:01 PM on March 3, 2011

Ask the store manager. As billypilgrim noted above, the logo change-over is not happening all at once, so there will be varying timeframes for replacement of items with the old logo. There has not been an explicit dictate from above as of yet (at least that I'm aware of) that directs stores on what to do with old logo items like displays and signs. It seems things will stay as-is for a while and then there will be a gradual phase out and replacement, store-by-store, of the new branding. For the March 7th promo, expect to see new logo'd aprons, cups/sleeves, promo displays/menu boards/window clings, and merchandise. Items such as in-store fixture signs, outside signs, packaged coffee (aside from Tribute Blend), paper products, etc. will likely take a bit longer to update.

Generally speaking, Starbucks seems to be pretty informal when it comes to dealing with old promo materials. Most stuff ends up in the dumpster. If you have a regular Starbucks you visit, I'd think a quick conversation with the store's manager relaying your interest in these items would be a good start towards acquiring some of these items.

eBay, while a good option (especially after the promo date), will be expensive I'm thinking.

Good luck!
posted by karizma at 12:03 PM on March 4, 2011