So Many Coffee Chains!

This morning, I managed to wake up on my own at 6:45 without the alarm. It’s a rare occasion for me, as I typically sleep all the way until my alarm goes off at 7:45. To take full advantage of the extra hour I’ve gained, I’ve decided to write another journal entry.

Incidentally, my office is slated to relocate to another location in just a few weeks, about 15 minutes further away on foot compared to my current office. Therefore, it behooves me to practice waking up a bit earlier going forward.

To be able to do that, logic dictates that I move up my bedtime in the evening by 15 minutes, from 11:45 to 11:30 p.m. I know it’s easier said than done, as I normally have tons of things to do before I go to bed, but something has got to change to accommodate my new commuting routine.

Late yesterday afternoon, I went to the Chinatown Point shopping mall to do my customary Sunday grocery shopping. Once I arrived at the complex, before going to the supermarket, I wanted to sit down at Starbucks to study some English. Unfortunately, the outlet was packed with no available table for me.

I quite like this outlet, because it's covered on two sides by huge glass walls and directly looks out onto a busy intersection right in the heart of Chinatown, allowing customers to observe the comings and goings of people outside, which is always interesting.

Out of no choice, I went to The Coffee Bean upstairs, which is nestled in the middle of the building and offers a much more boring view and a somewhat suffocating vibe. To be fair to The Coffee Bean, I visit their outlets as often as I go to Starbucks. They not only serve decent-tasting coffee but also tend to be cleaner and better maintained than Starbucks, which is often short-staffed and full of leftover beverages that take ages to get cleared away.

By the way, aside from Starbucks and The Coffee Bean, there is another coffee outlet in the mall called Luckin Coffee, a huge coffee chain originating from Xiamen, reputed to be China’s answer to Starbucks. I’ve been to Luckin Coffee only once. Their outlets are sleekly designed and their beverages taste OK, but I normally don’t visit them as they don’t offer decaffeinated coffee, a must for me.

Over the past few years, there has been a drastic increase of coffee chains operating here in Singapore. I wonder how they can stay in business without cannibalizing one another. It could be that the overall demand is still growing, not so much for caffeinated drinks per se, but for venues where people can chill and relax, due to the high level of stress they are feeling in this ultra-modern and fast-paced city.

It remains to be seen how the competition will shake out, but consumers are the ones who stand to benefit. I'm looking forward to a brighter future where we can enjoy better-tasting coffee at more reasonable prices.