Being such a huge Starbuck's fan, why did I not get this offer?

Caribou jumps on Starbucks snafu

September 2, 2006

BY SHAMUS TOOMEY Staff Reporter

Starbucks' mess has become Caribou Coffee's promotion.

The Minnesota-based Caribou said Friday it will honor e-mail coupons that Starbucks voided this week after someone changed the wording and spread them online.

There's a catch, though. Caribou said it will only honor the coupons from noon until closing time Friday.

Customers can redeem one coupon at Caribou for a free medium iced americano, iced tea or cold press iced coffee, the new product Caribou is trying to promote by seizing on the Starbucks debacle.

Starbucks said it distributed an e-mail coupon for a free iced coffee to a limited number of its employees in the Southeast on Aug. 23. Someone altered it to offer any iced drink, and it quickly took off online. Hundreds of thousands of coupons were printed, and customers around the world -- including as far away as Australia -- have been redeeming the coupons in recent days.

Starbucks killed the promotion late Tuesday.

stoomey@suntimes.com



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