Re:The Perils of Private Provision of Public Goods
by Scoundreller on Saturday March 07, 2020 @04:55PM
(#22514422)
It's less attendance/time spent compared to nearby cafes/restaurants. Starbucks might be up overall pre vs post.
The problem is the lack of randomization.
We can't know if something else Starbucks did at or around the same period caused the drop. E.g. the initial protests themselves upsetting customers in the first place or a change in pricing/promos by itself or a competitor. Maybe Starbucks jacked up its prices (or others starting discounting), which is why the public disclosures don't indicate the relative drop in traffic.
But "The decline in visits is around 84% larger for stores located near homeless shelters." is quite damning.
The problem is the lack of randomization.
We can't know if something else Starbucks did at or around the same period caused the drop. E.g. the initial protests themselves upsetting customers in the first place or a change in pricing/promos by itself or a competitor. Maybe Starbucks jacked up its prices (or others starting discounting), which is why the public disclosures don't indicate the relative drop in traffic.
But "The decline in visits is around 84% larger for stores located near homeless shelters." is quite damning.