Michael Kerr, (2014) Target marketing is about attracting customers who will buy what you’re selling. Of course, there’s more to it than that. After all, you’re not a magnet and this isn’t The Secret in order to target market effectively, you’ll need to know exactly who purchases your products and exactly how to reach them. And acquiring that kind of knowledge requires some research and planning on your end.
Dorf, Byers, (2005) Starbucks target young and middle aged people whose income level falls in the high and middle level and most importantly who want to enjoy a cup of premium quality coffee in the process of taking a break from day to day activities. Starbucks target customers are found to be those who want to have a social gathering in such a place which would be casual but luxury and where they would have special quality coffee and other bakery products.
Starbucks holds around 33 percent of the market share for coffee in the U.S. Renee O'Farrell, (2014) It sells almost as much coffee as do fast food and convenience stores combined, even though it the bulk of its consumers are in cities or upscale suburban areas. Starbucks has been able to gain such a large share of the market by catering specifically to a well-defined target audience.
Demand Media, (2014) 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.
Demand Media, (2014) 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 come available, focusing on social networking and actively cultivating a “cool” image. The young adult audience grows 4.6 percent each year.
Kids and teens are also a large part of Starbucks’ target audience. Together, customers age 13 to 17 accounts 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. Renee O'Farrell, (2014)
Renee O'Farrell, (2014) 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.