It was a good run while it lasted, however after ten years of running the show at most Starbucks locations, the New York Times has competition from a national paper once again. In the past decade, most of the company operated stores outside of airports and malls have sold only the New York Times in addition to local newspapers. Monday, March 15th marked the return of the USA Today to nearly 6,500 Starbucks locations. This is a change for many stores that previously sold only the Times, giving consumers a choice as to which publication they would like to read while enjoying their favorite beverage.

The return of the USA Today to Starbucks comes after a long term exclusivity contract between the New York Times and Starbucks. In the 1990′s Starbucks offered USA Today to shoppers prior to signing up with the Times, however today the newspaper sees much of its circulation through hotel distribution. That too might change in the near future, with some hotel franchises already offering their guests a choice between USA Today, The Wall Street Journal or a local newspaper.

Consumers are responding well to the additional choices offered at hotels and coffeehouses. People today expect to be given choices, making it a wise move for Starbucks to offer a broader range of options for shoppers to choose from. What better place to sit down and read a newspaper than a popular hang-out such as Starbucks. The addition of the USA Today is not expected to drastically change the course of the future for either paper, however it is obvious why both newspapers want to be available for consumers. USA Today has seen a decline of 18% over the six months ending in September of 2009 compared to the same time period one year prior. The Times experienced a 16% decline during the same period. There are several factors that may be contributing to the decline of papers sold at newsstands, including rising cover-prices , the struggling economy and the availability of news online.

It is obvious that both consumers and publishers see the benefit of having more options available and Starbucks is in a position to offer their shoppers the choices they expect today. While the addition of another newspaper will probably not make or break either publication, it is clear that Starbucks is a good place to be seen by many consumers. A spokeswoman for the New York Times has stated, “Competition has increased exponentially. But, we have a strong affinity with our readers and believe they will continue to select the New York Times, just as they do now when they have a choice.”