Starbucks Situation Analysis

According to a survey conducted in Shanghai shows that 24% of those aged 41-50 years old and between 20 -30 years old there is 18% people often go to sip a coffee. Therefore, The Coffee Club target market will be people working in offices and university students and faculty.

The specialty coffee industry had seen steady growth for years and the trend was expected to continue until at least 2015. Of the various segments within the specialty coffee industry, most of the growth was attributable to beverage retailers “Coffee and kiosks”. In 1979 there were approximately 250 specialty coffee retailers. The number quadrupled by 1989 to approx 1000 outlets, and it exploded to roughly 15000 by 2002. Nationally, specialty coffee sales totaled over $ 10 billion in 2005.

In the US, specialty coffee is a $5-billion industry with a 20% growth rate (House, 2013)

The survey questions mostly consisted of multiple choice questions, two open-ended questions, allowing written responses, and one qualitative response question. These questions were chosen to establish consumers differences and comparative perspective of Starbuck’s competitors, their daily usage of the social media platforms, the coffee shops visited frequently, and their opinions on consumers who frequent Starbucks. The survey contains one matrix/rating scale question ( Appendix I, Question 5) based on how important qualities are when choosing a coffee shop. Lastly, there were two demographic questions. The demographic questions are for a general understanding on consumers behavior based on age group and gender. For an overview of the survey, see appendix I.

Sales from restaurants—including Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, and McDonald's, which carry premium brews—grew at a compound annual rate of 15.2% from 2001 to 2006, as supermarket sales rose only marginally. Activist investor Nelson Peltz is pressuring Kraft to divest slow-growing Maxwell House. But Kraft vows to stick with the $1 billion-a-year brand. Another worry: Only 37% of 18- to 24-year-olds drink coffee, reports the National Coffee Assn., vs. 60% of those 40 to 59 and 74% of folks over 60. (Crown, 2007)

During my visits to the coffee shop, I was very surprised that the amount of people that ordered donuts was not as large as I expected. I made that assumption that donuts would be a regularly ordered item because of the variety offered by the coffee house. However, the number of people who ordered donuts were more than those that ordered coffee. I noticed that the majority of people either ordered hot coffee or iced coffee (Figure 1). The other beverages such as, Macchiato, Cappuccino, Latte, Punch, Coolatta and Smoothie were not as popular. Additionally, I observed that many of the customers paid using cash, however the majority

Starbucks positions itself as a place college students can hang out, study, write term papers and meet people. A Starbucks appeal to this consumer directly through introducing technology as soon as it comes available, focusing on social networking and actively cultivating a “cool” image. The young adult audience grows 4.6 percent each year (O’ Farrell).” However, the majority of the advertising is catered to Adults around the ages of 25 to 40. Adults seem to prefer a pick me up first thing in the morning on their way to work. Most Starbucks today have a drive thru to make it faster to grab and go.

People love to drink coffee. Coffee shops, independently owned or chains are every corner. Statistics show that people are taking more coffee every day. It is a very profitable business.

Statistics show that over half of the American population consumes coffee on a daily basis. You may drink coffee hot, cold, mixed, or even in a frappuccino. Individuals are able to make coffee at home, or buy it on the go. Coffee provides people with caffeine, which ultimately gives energy for hardworking people all around the world. The main focus for this paper will cover the following topics, with coffee as the basis: causes for shifts in supply and demand, how coffee supply and demand influence price, quantity,

The market for coffee in the US has experienced a significant increase in consumption in recent years. Research shows that coffee takes the lead over other soft drinks by more than 10 percentage points. The increase in coffee consumption echoes across all demographics and age groups, but more significant among those in the age group 18 and 39 years old. There is a general increase in consumption of all varieties of coffee but more significantly in gourmet coffee beverages. Traditional coffee consumption has also experienced a notable increase as a significant number of people claim to consume yesterday or a previous week.

1.Analyze the business-level strategies for the corporation you chose to determine the business-level strategy you think is most important to the long-term success of the firm and whether or not you judge this to be a good choice. Justify your opinion.

In general the coffeehouse industry in the United States was experiencing an increase in coffee consumption per capita due to the “Starbucks effect”. At this time Starbucks was operating approximately 20,000 stores in the United States and was living a fast expansion strategy worldwide.

Starbucks provide a large in store seating with free wi fi and a take-out service which only a few retail shops offer. The main target customers for Starbucks are office workers, with enough income, whom are able to afford the high prices of their products (Gaudio, 2003). The company has worked hard to establish itself as the brand leader with its branding as the most frequently drank coffee and noticeable brand logo. Introduction of promotions like the Starbucks Card, allows a more convenient way for a person to
pay for
your
drinks
and
earn
rewards
for
your purchase (Starbucks Coffee Company, 2011).
Furthermore, in‐store
promotions
accompanied
by
new
products and
amenities like free internet use are all strategies that Starbucks use to maintain their position in the market (Vasudha, 2011).

The consumer market is segmented according to age as well as preferences. People working in offices located close to the coffee bar and on sophisticated teenagers. Younger consumers are often willing to spend more on fancy coffee blends and signature drinks; the health-conscious would be willing to pay extra for “healthier” substitutes such as organic products; My market research shows that these are the customer groups that are most likely to buy coffee products. Since coffee consumption is universal across different income categories and mostly depends on the level of higher education.

Abstract this study focuses on the unique coffee drinking culture, the specialty coffee industry, and the behavioral patterns of coffee drinkers. Coffee drinking in specialty coffee shops is compared with coffee drinking behavior at home, in school or in the office. the results are based on two consumer surveys, each involving three hundred respondents. One survey was conducted among current in-store coffee shop customers and the other among consumers aged sixteen to thirty, randomly picked among store/mall visitors, residential subdivisions and offices.