Coffee Customization Craze! Starbucks Makes Nearly 7.2 Billion Annually from Syrups Alone!

Starbucks' Strategy Success: Customization and Cold Beverages Drive Growth Among Younger Generations

According to Starbucks' own reports, more than half of its customers today come from Gen Z and the Millennial generation.

"Starbucks' current brand positioning has the strongest brand affinity among all out-of-home coffee brands globally. It is seen as the first choice for out-of-home coffee," said Brady Brewer, Starbucks Chief Marketing Officer, during the November 3rd earnings call.

"The younger the consumer, the stronger the brand affinity. The more diversified the products, the stronger the brand affinity. For all these reasons, Starbucks will continue to cater to a very diverse and increasingly young customer base through cold drinks, customization, and plant-based beverages - and this strategy is working."

Interim CEO Howard D. Schultz strongly agrees. He noted that the company has been tracking the average age of its customer base for several years, and with the introduction of more novel flavor products, loyalty among younger groups has climbed steadily.

Because young consumers love customizing their drinks and sharing the results on social media, cold beverages have become DIY canvases - and that has powered Starbucks' cold drink growth to 76% of total sales in company-operated stores.

Howard added that more and more customers customize their cold coffee further with high-margin flavor syrups and sauces, building drinks tailored to their exact tastes.

A company R&D manager told foreign media that these syrup and sauce add-ons drove record-high sales in the most recent quarter. For Starbucks, they matter enormously: they bring in an extra $1 billion (roughly 7.174 billion RMB) in revenue annually.

Thanks to the steady stream of new flavor-syrup drinks, daily customer traffic has recovered to 95% of pre-pandemic levels. The surge in cold drink sales surprised even Starbucks.

"No other coffee company in the world can respond to customer customization the way we do. We have the ability to meet all the customization customers want, whether in flavor or decoration," Howard said at the investor briefing in September.

The Starbucks Customization Phenomenon

Just how deep does the syrup obsession run? As customers' imaginations grow wilder, more and more Starbucks baristas have taken to venting online!

"5 portions of banana milk, add caramel drizzle on top, add light cream, add ice, add cinnamon sauce, 7 pumps of dark caramel syrup, add caramel crunch, 1 pump of honey mixed into the drink, add salted black mocha sauce, 5 pumps of Frappuccino roast, 7 pumps of Starbucks exclusive syrup, add heavy cream, double blended."

"1 pump of hazelnut syrup, 1 pump of toasted white chocolate sauce, add milk foam, no caramel syrup, 2 pumps of Irish cream syrup, add cocoa powder, add honey - less of it, add 4 shots of espresso, add 1 pump of mocha, then drizzle mocha sauce on top, a small amount of skim milk, a small amount of whole milk cream, add 3 pumps of caramel brulee sauce, add a portion of caramel pudding foam, add light cream, add chocolate shavings..."

"2 portions of banana milk, use blonde roast espresso, add 2 portions of espresso specially made for affogato ice cream, add fruit peel tea, 2 pumps of honey, add cocoa powder, add pineapple syrup, add chocolate powder (different from cocoa powder), 1 pump of caramel syrup, 1 pump of sugar-free vanilla syrup, 2 pumps of Frappuccino syrup, switch to skim milk, 1 pump of classic syrup, 1 pump of toffee nut syrup, 1 pump of pumpkin sauce, 1 pump of white mocha, 2 scoops of matcha powder, 1 pump of raspberry syrup, 1 pump of cinnamon syrup, add vanilla powder, add cinnamon powder, 1 pump of hazelnut syrup, add nutmeg powder, add 2 portions of regular espresso, add ice, add light cream, finally double blend and then drizzle some caramel sauce, mocha sauce, pumpkin caramel sauce, cinnamon sauce on top..."

(We won't translate the rest... it's simply too long to write!)

Image source: Internet

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

All that syrup is really chasing one thing: a drink that tastes great with milk and sweetness. You can get there with the beans themselves. FrontStreet Classic Blend - the top pick - was designed for espresso and moka pots, famous for its abundant crema; even a novice with a basic home machine can pull dense, velvety shots. Built on the classic "Mamba" formula of Mandheling and Brazil with a touch of Robusta, it's mellow, full-bodied, and forgiving for latte, cappuccino, or Dirty.

Cost-conscious brewers and shop owners should look at the 100% Arabica FrontStreet Black Cocoa Blend: thick crema, mellow body, friendly price - quality and value in one bag. And for anyone who wants fruit-forward character without syrups, FrontStreet Strawberry Sugar replicates a bright strawberry-soft-candy sweetness purely from blended Arabica origins, versatile enough for home brewing or a cafe's signature milk coffee.