• Seattle Post-Intelligencer , Tuesday, August 5, 2008 10:16 AM

To boost business in the afternoons, Starbucks is going national today with a promotion that offers cold 16-ounce drinks for $2 after 2 p.m. to people who bought something in the morning. Starbucks baristas will stamp a "treat receipt" on morning receipts. A cold 16-ounce beverage costs up to $4 in the U.S., meaning customers save up to $2 until Sept. 2.

Starbucks has been testing the concept in Seattle, Miami and Chicago. In mid-July, it rolled out regional promotions that varied in scope and length. But customers have been demanding consistency in promotions, says Brad Stevens, Starbucks' vp of customer relationship management.

"The neat thing about this particular promotion," Stevens says, is that "it really allows the barista to engage with the customer in the morning."

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