Letter from Toronto annd Seattle

It was –5 with snow when I arrived so I was glad I had thoroughly explored the city on my previous visit as this one was going to be fleeting and en-route to Seattle.

The plane was delayed by four hours from Toronto: a noticeable pain for those for whom the Friday evening trip was returning home after a long week away. All credit to the Air Canada pilot who came out and spoke to us all and engaged in several one-to-one conversations. A brilliant way to bring a human side to a complicated logistical issue. As the captain left to get ready I fell into conversation with a senior executive from Starbucks also on his way home. He is based at Pike Market, of course. He chatted about the continuous challenge for Starbucks of innovating without losing the very essence of what so many love about the company: great coffee in great surroundings served by great people, of ‘giving-way’ to the demand for drive-through Starbucks, of the challenge of taking 80% of your business between the hours of 0600 and 0800 at by far the majority of stores. I didn’t detect any complacency on their part.

Amongst my sight-seeing I took in the famous Pike Place Fish company. Despite it being 0700 in the morning, cold and dark, they were in fine form: already shovelling ice, wise-cracking and living up to their reputation of turning buying fish into much more of an educational and entertaining experience. For more read Fish! They have realised that a commodity is not enough, nor a product, not even a service. You must sell an experience.

Around the market not all is well, though. I spoke to a book-shop who is suffering and blaming amazon.com. But that won’t help-the blaming that is. They will need to innovate and become entrepreneurs: someone who regularly re-invents. Static businesses go bust. Entrepreneurs tend to survive. And often thrive.

Next week: letters from Stockholm, Paris and Copenhagen. Not all is well in the French economy as you know.

Enjoy your week-end.