Adults
Starbucks’ primary target market is men and women aged 25 to 40. They account for almost half (49 percent) of its total business. Starbucks’ appeal to this consumer age group through hip, contemporary design that is consistent in its advertising and decor, and working to keep its products current as status symbols. Customers tend to be urbanites with relatively high income, professional careers and a focus on social welfare. This target audience grows at a rate of 3 percent annually.
Young Adults
Young adults, aged 18 to 24, total 40 percent of Starbucks’ sales. Starbucks positions itself as a place college students can hang out, study, write term papers and meet people. Starbucks appeals 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.
Kids and Teens
Kids and teens are also a large part of Starbucks’ target audience. Together, customers age 13 to 17 account for just 2 percent of Starbucks’ sales, but most items for kids are purchased by the parents. Whether the focus is on the steamed milk that Starbucks’ baristas refer to as “babyccinos” or the sugary, caffeinated, whipped cream topped coffee drinks that are so popular with teenagers, kids and teens form a large part of Starbucks business. Kids go there with their parents; both mother and child leave with cup in hand. Teens meanwhile use Starbucks as a place to hang out with friends or study. Starbucks may not cater directly to kids (and risk criticism about the high calorie and caffeine content of some of its drinks) but it does make its products kid-friendly, offering special child sizes for instance.
Complimentary Products
Specialty coffee drinks account for around 75 percent of Starbucks’ sales, but an increasing amount of its business is centered on selling whole bean coffees and merchandise. Starbucks has made its coffees available for direct order online, in supermarkets and offered select food service outlets the chance to carry Starbucks’ family of coffee, including Starbucks brand, Seattle’s Best and Starbucks VIA. These products give consumers a chance to have the “Starbucks’ experience” at home, and it is an area that Starbucks is pushing.