Starbucks customers love customizing their drinks. After the coffee giant started charging $1 for a Refresher without water, many people are upset. The Seattle-based chain claims that these popular juice drinks are more expensive to create without water.
Starbucks Charges $1 for Waterless Refresher Drinks After the price was implemented earlier this month, Starbucks stated, “There will be an additional cost of $1 for Starbucks Refreshers Beverages customized with no water, as this customization requires extra ingredients.”
The Starbucks website describes Refreshers as chilled drinks created with flavored juices, freeze-dried fruit bits, water, milk (with non-dairy alternatives), and lemonade. “Refresher drinks without water cost more to make, so Starbucks is really just asking customers to pay a fair value for what they’re getting,” said GlobalData managing director of retail Neil Saunders in an email to CBS.
He continued, “In the current environment where raw material costs are rising and margins are squeezed, Starbucks probably finds it necessary to take a more stringent stance on pricing. Like every change, some customers may view it as stingy and a rip-off.
The New Charge Annoys And Disappoints Fans Starbucks fans vented on social media about the Refresher charge. One tweeted, “They are already filling half the cup with ice. This is greed since their profits haven’t suffered.” “Starbucks charging extra for light ice in refreshers is dramatic and greedy,” said another.
Another wrote, “They will charge me extra because they will not be adding water to my drink?? “Wtf,” another customer said, “stop charging an extra fee for no water or some ice in spring drinks – refreshers. Pathetic.”
One Reddit user wrote, “Bye Starbucks, constant changes, price increases and treat your employees better.” Starbucks has raised pricing multiple times in recent months owing to "inflation," according to platform users.
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