For the Starbucks Addict: Custom Frappuccinos

If you're a Starbucks addict who dreams of the day when you can order a decaf soy frappuccino with light syrup and no whipped cream, Christmas is coming early: Starting this summer, the coffee giant will let customers design their own frappuccinos. With the "however-you-want-it frappuccino," Starbucks hopes to prop up sales during a slow time of year and a weak time of day—afternoon, when iced drinks sell best.

The custom frappuccino is also a move to woo 18-to-24-year-olds, "the iPod age group accustomed to selecting exactly what they want," a Starbucks exec told the Wall Street Journal. But pushing the frappuccino is a risk: It takes longer to make than most Starbucks drinks, and long lines can form when it sells well, so the company is gearing up for the change by training baristas on more efficient, quieter blenders.
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