The core competence of Starbucks has been its ability to effectively leverage their cornerstone product differentiation strategies by offering a premium product mix of high quality beverages and snacks. Starbuck’s brand equity is built on selling the finest quality coffee and related products, and by providing each customer a unique “Starbucks Experience”, which is derived from supreme customer service, clean and well-maintained stores that reflect the culture of the communities in which they operate, thereby building a high degree of customer loyalty with a cult following. Its other core competence is its human resource management's values- based approach for building very strong internal and external relationships with suppliers, which drives the successful deployment of its business strategy of organic expansion into international markets, horizontal integration through smart acquisitions and alliances that maintains their long-term strategic objective being the most recognized and respected brands in the world.