Coffee experience: Clearly a skill of the firm is its knowledge of coffee. Through
economies of scale, Starbucks has the opportunity to select, purchase, and roast quality
green coffee beans, largely in house. Unlike other chains (namely Second Cup, Grabba
Jabba, and Timothy’s, all from Canada, or Diedrich and Seattle’s Best, from the United
States) that rely on agents and pre-roasted beans, Starbucks is able to handle these
functions internally