Many products can provide an experience for the consumer. One good that can evoke a customer experience is coffee. It is a product that appeals to many of the senses. It has a pleasing aroma, taste, and feel. However, the coffee experience goes further than this. When people purchase coffee from a coffee shop, they are getting more than just the coffee. They are also paying for the coffee house experience.
When you enter a coffee shop you are often surrounded by the aroma of fresh ground coffee, ambient lighting, soothing music, and upscale surroundings. Your coffee is made for you not by servers but by “baristas”. Loaded terms such as this add to the sophisticated atmosphere many coffee houses aim to project. I am interested in getting to better understand how coffee houses sell their product/experience to customers. Is it for the coffee shop environment that we are willing to buy a coffee at over $4 a piece? What emotions and experiences does buying coffee from a nice coffee house evoke? I would like to learn more about how a basic good such as coffee has elevated into a luxury good that evokes a range of emotions.
The customer experience surrounding coffee is interesting because depending on where you purchase your coffee your experience will be different. McDonalds and Starbucks both sell coffee, yet it almost seems they aren’t selling the same product at all. Part of the Starbucks experience is the wide offering of exotic coffees and sophisticated surroundings. It is in this environment that Starbucks creates an experience for the customers.
Many people look to coffee to begin their day. This might help us to understand the importance of a chic, luxurious atmosphere at coffee shops. People can see coffee as part of a morning ritual, and they would like to start their day right at a coffee house that can offer them a quality brew and an environment that is pleasant. Also, when they purchase a coffee from an establishment such as Starbucks, they feel like they are getting a luxury item they can feel good about. It is this customer experience that comes from getting a coffee from a coffee shop I would like to investigate further.
This subject is of interest to me because I am one of those people who is a sucker for nice coffee shops. I would like to gain deeper insights on what drives me to spend my money at places like Starbucks versus a most cost effective business, such as McDonalds. I would also like to further understand what elements lead to my experiences surrounding these coffee shops. What actually is it about Starbucks that draws me in? If I could understand what variables lead to the success of coffee houses, they could be maybe applied to another commodity to allow them to gain the same prestige and success.
If I can gather customer insights to discover what makes a coffee shop experience pleasant, I could use my findings to better meet the needs of my customers. By tapping into customer insights, we can find what the customer really wants. If we can identify which experiences are valuable to the customer, we can find ways to adapt a business plan to meet all the needs of our customers. An article by Associated Content described how important atmosphere is to Starbuck’s success. Coffee houses become a place to socialize, study, and to get a cup of java.
Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/126954/the_starbucks_culture.html?cat=31
Paige - I think this topic could be interesting, but you'll need to be a little careful with it. There has been a lot written about this topic over the years, so I would really like to see if you can find a fresh take to it - one option is to consider what that experience means now that Starbucks is evolving into a convenience experience as well. Also, that article is not that great, to be honest. There are so many articles out there on Starbucks and I know you can easily find much better ones.
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