Early Release

Last Saturday I made a quick swing through the Lyndwood Giant. Just inside the store was a large display promoting Starbucks new Via instant coffee. I had already seen similar displays in the various Starbucks retail outlets around town but I noticed this particular display had new a product in the line-up, decaffeinated Via.

I snagged a 12 pack. When this product was introduced a few weeks ago, I was disappointed that there wasn’t a decaf offering. “They are working on it,” I was told by the regular baristas in the Shipley’s Grant Starbucks.

On Monday I noticed that my local Starbucks still didn’t have the decaf Via on display. “We have it,” I was told, “but we’re not supposed to put it out until next week.”

It must be that that someone at the Lynwood Giant didn’t get that memo about the coordinated national roll out. I should have suspected as much when the product didn’t scan on the checkout scanners. I hate it when that happens. I always feel like I did something wrong.