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For my final project, I chose Starbucks and the specialty coffee beverage category. I chose Starbucks because it is a company that I am familiar with, and I think it will be interesting to look at the reasons why people continue to choose Starbucks when there are so many other places to get coffee. Starbucks also has a large variety of specialty drinks, including lattes, cold brews, espresso drinks, Frappuccinos, and seasonal drinks. Customers can also customize their drinks, which gives people more control over what they are purchasing.

I decided to focus specifically on specialty coffee beverages because they are very popular, especially with younger consumers. According to the National Coffee Association (2026), 47% of American adults reported drinking specialty coffee within the past day. The percentage was even higher among adults between the ages of 25 and 39, with 69% reporting that they had specialty coffee within the past week. I think this makes specialty coffee an interesting category to research because there are different things that can influence why someone chooses a certain drink or coffee shop.

One resource I plan to use throughout my consumer behavior analysis is the National Coffee Association. Their research provides information about coffee drinking habits, consumer preferences, age groups, and the types of coffee people are purchasing. This will help me better understand who is buying specialty coffee and what may influence their decisions.

Another resource I plan to use is Starbucks. Starbucks provides information about its products and the different ways customers can customize their drinks. Customers can change things such as the type of milk, sweetness level, and other ingredients in their beverages (Starbucks, 2026). I think this will be helpful when looking at how Starbucks responds to different customer preferences and how having so many choices may affect buying decisions.

My third resource will be the National Coffee Association’s 2026 Specialty Coffee Report. This report focuses more specifically on specialty coffee consumers and looks at things such as age, drink preferences, flavors, and where people are purchasing and drinking their coffee (National Coffee Association, 2026). This information will help me get a better idea of the type of consumer Starbucks is trying to reach with its specialty drinks.

Overall, I chose Starbucks because I think there is a lot to look at when it comes to consumer behavior. People do not always choose Starbucks just because they need coffee. Things like convenience, customization, favorite drinks, seasonal products, and brand loyalty can all play a part in the decision. Throughout this project, I want to learn more about what makes consumers choose Starbucks and how the company can use those behaviors to better market its specialty coffee beverages.

References

National Coffee Association. (2026). National Coffee Data Trends: U.S. coffee consumption trends & consumer insights.

National Coffee Association. (2026). 2026 NCDT Specialty Coffee Report.

Starbucks. (2026). Empowering customers to personalize their Starbucks experience.