10 Reasons why Pinkberry is struggling (from a consumer's perspective)
When I was in college (in Boston), there had to have been at least 3 Pinkberries within walking distance from campus. Now (I just checked their website), there isn't a single Pinkberry location left in New England. What happened? Here's a list of thoughts I had, as a consumer.
Inspiration for this list: I walked by a Pinkberry in London, realized I hadn't seen one in years, and promptly ran into the store to buy some yogurt.
1. It's too expensive
I paid like GBP 6.50 for a small, which was slightly bone-chilling.
2. You only get three toppings
Hugely important! People want to have it their own way when it comes to froyo. Limiting the toppings to only 3 feels really restrictive (and weirdly nickel-and-dimey for such an expensive product).
3. It's froyo
I think a lot of people prefer ice cream/gelato to froyo, so there's that limiting factor.
4. The aesthetic hasn't evolved at all in the past decacde
The decor in this Pinkberry looked transplanted from 10 years ago. They might need to do a brand revamp.
5. There's a limited selection of toppings
Back to the toppings. There weren't actually that many. I'd have liked to see more candy variety.
If you can believe it, they also upcharge for certain toppings that they call "premium," reducing the available frontier even more.
6. Many of the toppings seem to be of dubious quality
The fruit looked okay today, but a lot of the toppings looked stale. This could be location-specific though.
7. Since the froyo isn't self-serve, you lose out on some of the fun of the experience
I almost feel like there's an element of creativity associated with froyo. You get to go in and make your own creation. At Pinkberry, they do it all for you, so the element of play is gone.
8. You have to talk to someone
For us Millenials/the Gen Z crowd, having to have a full conversation with an employee can be a bit of a turn off.
9. You can't pre-order
In this way, it's disfavored when compared to coffee shops, fast food joints, or other in-and-out establishments.
10. There are very few froyo flavors: limited selection
I think people have gotten used to endless variety when they think of their froyo. The trade-off Pinkberry presents, whereby you get fewer flavors of supposedly better quality, doesn't necessarily appeal to people.
11. BONUS opinion: Despite all of the above, the yogurt still tasted really good.
Huh. Would I go back? Probably not.
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