The slow down in the economy has hit some businesses harder than others.  So to stay competitive some of the major retailers that were previously considered a splurge option are reducing prices and changing philosophies to compete on the basis of necessities instead of wants.  The two biggest changes have come from Target and Starbucks.

Target- This competitor to Wal-Mart has taken a big hit because it has positioned itself as the more upscale super center.  With people focusing solely on price these days Target needed to find a way to get more people into its doors.  Their answer has been to add mini marts to all the stores that did not already have a grocery section.  This means you can buy frozen foods and non-perishable groceries but no fresh produce.  The move should provide a little more traffic into their stores.  If you are cutting coupons you can get the weekly list for Target for free from Couponmom.com

Starbucks- With McDonald’s finally rolling out the low cost McCafe, and every other restaurant taking a shot at the king of coffee , the Seattle superstar has seen an erosion in traffic and profits.  Starbucks (or as I have heard a friend call them ThreeBucks) has been forced to cut the price of its iced coffee to $1.95 to compete.  The taste testers say that if you are getting anything with syrup mixed in then Starbucks is the place to go, but if you want an equally bad cup of coffee then just take your pick.

I expect to see many more of the mid level retailers and restaurants continue to make concessions on their product offerings so that people will come through their doors.  So keep your eyes peeled for coupons and sales coming our way.